Ashes of a Warrior
by Sail.on.Harper
Summary: A rogue ninja is conned into coming back to Konoha to reconnect with old acquaintances, in particular Kakashi Hatake. How will he react to this ghost from the past? Takes part just before Chunin Exams. M for language, violence, sex in later chaps.Kaka
1. Chapter 1

I juggled my bags around to peer at the table with apples for sale.

"How much for these?"

"$5 for 10."

I scrunched up my nose; I had really had to tighten my belt this month. Work was hard to come by in the village of the cloud, especially for a wanted shinobi like myself. Often the jobs that came my way were dodgy, and I was paid half the rate I would charge if I was still working for Konoha.

After the Itachi incident…well, I could never set foot in that place again.

I shook my head at the woman and kept walking; I could go without apples this month. I wandered further down the high street, it was market day today and the place was teaming with locals and tourists alike. It was nice when it was this busy, I could go about my business un-noticed.

I walked past a guy selling mirrors and stopped to check out my appearance. Today I was wearing the marvellously cheap ensemble of a slightly too big white t shirt cut that stopped at the waist and a home-made sarong made from a huge piece of red material. Of course that meant that I was showing a _lot _of leg, but it helped me get about 10% off my purchases, so it wasn't exactly a bad thing. Plus it allowed for easy access to my kunai knives. I had several gold bracelets around my wrist and one around my ankle – heirlooms from my deceased parents. My dark brown hair was in dire need of a cut, and it lay in waves down my back. My eyes were grey, green on a good day.

But I wasn't having one of those.

The shopkeeper shooed me away, seeing that I wasn't going to buy anything. I rolled my eyes at him, muttering "yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm going…"

There wasn't much left to do but go home now that I was out of money – home being a cheap box of an apartment that you couldn't swing a cat in. But as I said, it was cheap, the landlord was fair, and it was in a decent area, unlikely to be searched by Konoha black ops. I moved every few months just to be on the safe side – I had been doing this for the last four years.

It was a beautiful day; the sun was streaming in between the buildings and trees – a rarity for a place named for its usually cloudy weather. A warm breeze blew past my face, yet for some reason I felt chilled. The hair on the back on my neck prickled dangerously, and the feeling of being watched was overwhelming. Could I just be over reacting? There were thousands of people here today; it was somewhat likely that someone would be checking me out. The damsel in distress with too much shopping and a low hanging handbag – the perfect target for a pickpocket.

Not that _that _would be difficult to deal with, I was a Jounin after all. It was stupid to try and shrug the feeling – what was it that he had always told me?

My old friends voice floated back to me.

"_Chance favours the prepared mind"_

I pretended to be considering a stall selling beetroot while trying to pinpoint the area of chakras of the person watching me. There were too many people around, and too much noise and distraction to be absolutely sure, but there was someone near by who I could sense was strong. Or was it two people? My concentration was broken when the stall owner yelled "Hey lady, you gonna buy something or what?"

I scowled at him and started to move away. I needed to get rid of my bags and arm myself before I got a shuriken in the back.

I hurried further into the crowd, and could sense that I was being followed. I was about to make a run for it, to prepare myself and then attack, when I got the shock of my life.

"Maia! Hey Mai! Is that you?"

"It's not her, idiot. Let's go."

I spun around; dropping my bags to the ground and throwing a kunai in the direction of the voice. I hadn't gone by my birth name for years; the only people who knew it were from…

Maito Gai and Sarutobi Asuma were standing mere meters away staring at me; Asuma having caught my knife.

Shit. They sent these two to take care of me?

Gai opened his mouth, but I was gone before he could get anything out. I sprinted down the rest of high street, biting my thumb and reaching for another knife with a seal wrapped around it. I scrawled down the transportation spell my foster father had taught me, before throwing it with all my might into the distance.

I could here the Jounin shouting at me, and closing in fast. I started making hand signs, and just as I felt someone's fingertips close on my shoulder – I vanished.

I was suddenly 50 meters further than I had been, and barely had enough time to register that I was going to run into a stall before ducking and skidding beneath it. I pushed myself off the dirty ground and ran into the nearby forest.

Why did I opt not to wear shoes today of all days. I jumped over a low hanging branch. Bloody typical that I should be attacked on the one day I try and relax.

I dodge between the close set trees. It would be impossible to use the transportation jutsu here; I'd only run into one of these trees and knock myself out.

A great look for a 'great' Jounin.

There was a sudden burst of sunlight as I broke into a clearing. I ran into the middle, turned to face my pursuers and waited.  
I wasn't there for long. A matter of seconds in fact. Gai was the first to show, sprinting with a manically happy expression on his face. I guess he was really, really excited about killing me. He'd make a nice profit, no doubt about that.

"I'll ask that you kill me here, rather than drag me back to the village for execution. I don't particularly enjoy being the centre of attention. You try anything else and I'll kill you both, or at least, I'll die trying."

I raised kunai in both hands to show that I was serious, and Gai stopped in his tracks. Asuma walked up more casually behind him, studying me closely.

"Well, well Mai, long time no see."

I glared at him, trying to prepare for whatever surprise attack he was preparing.

"Yup, you were what, 14 when you left? You've grown up well" Both men grinned at me like idiots. I glared at each of them. If they were trying to get behind my guard they were doing a pretty shoddy job of it.

I twirled one of the kunai in my fingers, sizing each of them up, considering whether I'd have to tap into my strongest jutsu to bring them both down. It'd be a shame; we had been friends a long time ago.

"Enough talking. Can we just get this over with?"

At almost the same time their expressions changed to that of surprise. Gai hesitantly stepped forward.

"Get on with what exactly?"

I rolled my eyes impatiently.

"The killing? The 'we must take down this villain in the pursuit of justice for our slain Uchiha brothers'?"

They continued to look dumbfounded. What was wrong with these guys?

"Hello, accomplice to a mass murderer? Run out of town by ANBU?" I tapped myself on the head with the end of a knife, to try and make it as clear as possible what I was trying to tell them.

They looked at each other, Gai scratching his head and muttering something to Asuma, who just shrugged and lit another cigarette.

"Well…then…I'll just be going then…" I took a hesitant step to the side, and when they didn't attack me, I took another. They watched me with amusement.

"For god's sake, what the hell is with you guys?" I dropped my hands to my sides, completely exasperated.  
Asuma, took a deep breathe, before walking right up to me.

"Maia, we all thought you were dead."

It was like being kicked in the gut. How could they think that?

"Right. Ok. And why would I be dead?"

Asuma looked back to Gai, appealing for help, but saw that he had found a puddle and had started winking and smiling into it.  
Asuma sighed, and rubbed he forehead, before making Gai stand next to him to try and explain.

"Well, Itachi snatched you away right after the massacre didn't he? He attacked several ANBU agents on the way, and it didn't seem as though you were overjoyed to be dragged away like that. We thought it was a kidnapping, you two used to be a thing, right? So we figured that you must have witnessed the murders, and he was taking you away to get rid of a witness. We searched for months, but found no trace of you. Itachi has since joined up with the Akasuki, and there was no mention of you, so we prepared for the worst…"

"But now you're alive!" Gai cut in, giving me the thumbs up.

"Well done me. So, no one has been hunting me all this time? Jesus, I have been running for the last 4 years convinced that black ops were coming after me, and all this time I was just playing hide and seek with myself."

Well not totally by myself, I had managed to piss off a number of ninja in the villages I hid in, plus there were the enemy nations that would love to get their hands on my jutsu. But Konoha only sent retrieval squads, not extermination.

I didn't know how to feel about this. Did that mean I could go home then? Did I even want to, after what they did to Itachi? Gai interrupted my thoughts.

"Can you imagine how the people are going to react when we bring her home? God, after all this time, she's been alive!"

I chewed my cheek; undoubtedly I'd be chased out with pitchforks and torches.

"I don't think that many people will be over the moon about it. I know how it looked to the public when I disappeared."

Asuma thought for a moment, before nodding in agreement.

"Being found at the execution site moments after the massacre, then being taken by Itachi…I see what you mean. But if the Hokage got a message out to the public immediately, surely they would cooperate."

Not bloody likely.

"Asuma, ANBU attacked me on sight. They would have killed me, but instead Itachi grabbed me. Sorry, but I'm not sticking my neck out for the sake of a few hurt feelings."

I started to back away.

"How do you think Kakashi is going to react?"

I stopped, my stomach twisting into a knot. Kakashi. How would he react? Angrily? I had been gone for a long time, and he was my oldest friend. I should have given him some sort of sign that I was OK.  
Bloody Asuma, he knew he'd hit a nerve with that one. If I went back, I'd have a lot of explaining to do. I covered my eyes with a hand while I thought. I wonder what he looks like now. Rather, I wonder if the two square inches visible of his face had changed. Was he still even wearing that stupid mask?

He'd be…26. Jeez, old.

I sighed – I knew I'd regret this, but to be home…would that be such a terrible thing? I'd be employed for a start.

"Meet me in 10minutes outside the southern exit of the village. I just have some stuff I need to pack."

Gai threw his fists in the air, and Asuma smiled at me. Gai's face suddenly took up my vision as he wrapped me in a bone crushing bear hug.

"Be quick Maia! Let not time waste the beauty of youth! We will run the entire way! Through rain and snow! We will return!"

He wandered back to the puddle and continued babbling. I snuck a sidelong look at Asuma.

"I'm not running in the snow."

He laughed and patted my shoulder.

"We'll work something out."


	2. Chapter 2

I sprinted back through the High Street to my apartment building. Ten minutes was more than enough time to pack up my life and take off again. I couldn't believe it, after all this time I was actually going home.  
I swerved around a stall that was far too close to the street and jumped over a kid to avoid utter chaos; parents and store keepers shouted insults at my back. I kept a half hearted eye out for my shopping, but it had already been snatched up by some extremely fortunate passer-by.  
I ran past the over-priced apples and reached out to swipe one. The owner didn't even notice; she probably just saw a streak of red parting the sea of people. I momentarily congratulated myself on my superb reflexes. I shoved the apple into my mouth so I could pat myself down with both hands, searching for my keys. Shit, where were they? I bumped into someone, but barely looking up from my frantic search. I could feel something approaching me fast, and reached out to catch the orange the person had aimed at my head. Excellent, so far Lunch was free.  
I could see my building in the distance now, but still couldn't find my accursed keys. I shot through the front doors, and skidded to a halt in front of the land lady's desk. She wasn't there, so I rang the bell repeatedly. I was still running on the spot when she finally hobbled out from the back of her office.  
"I lost my key again. So sorry. Can I have another one? I know I'm hopeless, careless, lazy, worthless…"  
I have lost my keys a few times, and am infamous around these parts. I already knew the woman's insults by heart, and found it better to list them off to save time.

"You forgot incompetent" She sighed and hobbled over to the drawer where she kept the spares. I could see that there were about 5 extras for room 208; yes, being infamous had its perks.

"You're a thorn in my side, girl. When are you going to find a good man to take you off my hands?"

Still jogging on the spot, I tried to snatch the key from the old woman's nimble fingers, and was annoyed to find that she was out of reach. She grinned wickedly at me, expecting me to beg for them.

"It's your lucky day Joushi; I have found two to take me away to Konoha."

The grin fell off her face, and I took her advantage of her shock by diving onto my belly on the desk, grabbing the key and running up the stairs.

"Thanks Joushi! I'll give it back when I come back down!"

I kept the key clutched in my hand to make absolutely sure I wouldn't lose it before I had unlocked my door – it's quite a difficult thing to run up several flights of stairs while staring at the hand raised above your head. After several near tumbles, I finally made it. I half unlocked, half kicked the door open, and immediately started grabbing everything in sight. I dragged my big worn backpack out from under my bed and started stuffing clothes in. Scrolls and books were piled up in the small dining table, and they got shoved into my shoes; a handy wee space saver. Next to go in were my battered kunai and shuriken, as well as my sad collection of make up. I'd leave my left over food in the cupboard, the next tenant would surely be thrilled; that, or pissy when they realised that it had gone mouldy.

I took one last look around the room, fairly tidy, though the bed wasn't made and there was a lipstick reminder scrawled onto the vanity mirror telling me to find the keys I had borrowed.

Oh well, too late now.

Shit, where's the one she just gave me. I looked around half heartedly, but it had already disappeared. I mentally ticked off the things I had packed, and stopped when I realised that I'd forgotten something. I checked all my drawers again, knowing that they were all empty; all my clothes were deposited neatly on the floor when I was done with them. I checked my bed side table drawer, and found it. My leaf headband.

I hesitated for a moment. I hadn't worn this in over 4 years, and with good reason too. There was a deep long scratch going through the middle of the leaf symbol; a memento from one of the ANBU officers that decided that I was guilty until proven innocent as far as the Uchiha massacre went. It had been a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but trying to explain this to elite Jounin while under attack proved difficult. Had Itachi not taken me away, I would have undoubtedly been killed.

I didn't realise how long I had been standing there until my clock chimed. Crap, half an hour had gone by. Enough reminiscing. The headband was crammed in too. After one last look around the apartment, and finally accepting the key was well and truly gone, I chose to escape the wrath of the old lady by leaving through the window.

* * *

Asuma and Gai were loitering by the gates by the time I arrived. Asuma seemed happy for the excuse for a calming cigarette, but Gai lectured me on the sins of wasting my youth.

"Well Gai,' I interrupted 'I'd say we are wasting our youth talking about wasting our youth. The best thing to do now would be to leave quickly to make up for your blunder."

I was surprised when Gai took my words seriously, and apologised to me. Asuma straightened up, and stubbed out his cigarette.

"I've sent a message to the Hokage, so he is expecting you. No torches and pitchforks will be waiting at the gates." He scratched his head and grinned sheepishly. I shook my head and rolled my eyes at him, but couldn't help smiling too.

I took one last look at the village. The street was still teaming with shoppers, kids were crying, and shop keepers harassing the passers-by. The buildings stretched towards the sky, and the little I could see of it was white with smoke from the many food stalls. I wouldn't be missed here; I had behaved as a ninja should, silent and stealthily. That is unless I lost my keys to my apartment…

I turned my back on the place; I had moved around so often over the past few years that I no longer felt that pang of remorse when I left a village. It was a fact of my life, and result of the choices I made. Ahead of me the path was a steep, rocky decent in the dense forest below. In the distance I could see rolling hills and a tiny part of some ocean. Beyond those hills, Konoha waited for me.

I turned back to the men. We nodded silently before racing down the track.

I had forgotten just how long it had taken me to climb the mountain to the Village Hidden in the Clouds, but the decent was almost as time-consuming. Gai had taken my heavy pack as an act of chivalry. I normally would have rejected his offer, claiming to be able to do the same work as a man, but it was more fun to test my balance and speed by jumping from rock to rock; and besides, Gai seemed really excited by the challenge of carrying a heavy pack for so long a distance.

The wind whipped my hair back from my face as I skimmed over several boulders at speed. I jumped off another, twisted and flipped in the air to land in a crouch on another rock a few meters below, before gathering my chakra to my feet and propelling myself onwards.  
Asuma was watching my acrobatics with amusement, seeing how much I was enjoying placing with my strength and agility. I guess Gai's talent for turning every thing into a training exercise was rubbing off on me.

"That'd be a lot easier if you were in proper uniform."

I leapfrogged over another rock, before swinging over a branch.

"I'm not wearing those ugly clothes. I take pride in my appearance."

"All the other kunoichi wear them, they're a lot easier to fight in, and provide more protection than skirts and bare feet do."

I rolled my eyes. My feet had long since toughened from years of abuse on my part, and jumping over rocks and trees wasn't even an issue.

"Please Asuma; if you suck enough at your job to get stabbed, a vest isn't going to save you. My thinking is, I'm so good that no one can mark me, so why bother

butch-ifying myself,' I joked, 'The way I dress does not affect my abilities as a Jounin. It's a job not a fashion parade."

Gai laughed at Asuma, who didn't seem to be able to find a comeback to that without risking another shot at his masculinity.

Finally, pretending to sulk, he said "Well, you should at least cover up a bit."

"Geez Asuma, when did you get so _old_?" I teased back.

"When are _you_ going to grow up?" He shot back.

"And lose my youthful charm? Never!" I poked my tongue out, and nearly tripped over the rock I was on.

He smiled despite himself.

We quietened down for the rest of the day, focusing our energy on speed rather than verbal sparing. Gai was now insisting we manage the seven day journey in three, and it required every bit of focus.  
I hadn't noticed how thin the air had been up on the mountain, but I found myself having to adjust my breathing the further away we got. It took a good four hours to reach the bottom, and we took a break to eat and re-energise.

I plonked myself on the flat ground and gratefully accepted water and a bun from Gai – I should have brought the food in my flat after all.

"So,' I panted, trying to catch my breath after all my acrobatics on the mountain, 'what's everyone like now?"

Asuma and Gai weren't as tired as I was, though they had opted to run straight down the mountain, rather than zigzagging back and forth as I had.

"Mmm,' Gai hummed through a mouthful of bread 'I'm currently a better ninja than Kakashi."

Ah, I remember the one sided competition Gai had going with Kakashi.

"Oh? What's the score now?"

"49 to 50, I'm afraid Kakashi is losing his youthful spirit."

"Aren't you two older than him?"

Gai coughed.

"That is neither here nor there."

I grinned to myself, these guys behaved like middle aged women when it came to the issue of youthfulness; it was a great weakness to play on,

"What else?"

Asuma answered this time.

"Well, Gai, Kakashi and I have taken on teams on Genin this year, they're actually all participating in the Chunin exams. I think you'd be very interested to see Kakashi's team."

"Why?"

"You'll have to wait and see, wont you?" Asuma winked at my annoyed face.

"Aw, just tell me!"

"Nope. My 'old' brain get's confused these days." Gai snorted into his food, I half expected them to fist bump in pulling on over on me.

I viciously took a bite from my bun.

"They must be something else if Kakashi actually passed them. I remember watching Minato doing the bell test on his team all those years ago, hardly anyone passes that one."

Asuma grinned at me but said nothing. I guess I'd just have to wait and see. Gai was suddenly on his feet and putting my pack back on his shoulders.

"Onwards team! The day fades and Konoha beckons!"

I shoved the rest of the bread in my mouth and stood up; dusting myself off. Asuma lit another cigarette before lifting his own pack.

"We can get in another 4 hours of travel before we lose the light. We'll camp tonight and then continue first thing in the morning. We will be back in Konoha in time for the first exam to start."

I faltered.

"The exams are barely three days away? What are you guys doing away from your teams; shouldn't you be going over last minute drills with them?"

Asuma shrugged. "Nah, if they haven't figured it out by now, then a few days isn't going to make a major difference. Don't worry; we'll be there for the post-exam pep talks." He laughed and patted my shoulder, before we set off again towards the dark forest in the distance.

* * *

I was sprawled out on the grass of the clearing, breathing heavily and staring at the jewelled sky. We had travelled almost non-stop for the past two days, and we were all pretty exhausted. I couldn't even bother to eat; I just wanted to lie there and never move again. I had pestered Asuma and Gai to tell me about Team 7, but more importantly what Kakashi was like. They were both totally tight lipped about it, convinced that I would shy away from my old friend when I reached the village, and needed something to draw me to him.

That and I think Asuma was still sore about being called old. I did manage to get some information about Asuma from Gai, learning about the alleged relationship he had with Kureni. I had been friendly with her before I left the village, though she had been a Chunin then and we didn't really roll with the same crowds.

I heard one of the men groan next to me, and guessed it to be Asuma.

"Give up the smokes Asuma and you'll be able to breathe."

Asuma's tired voice managed to croak out "Never".

"I don't know what's wrong with you! We could have pushed on through the night and arrived at the Village at dawn! Mai! Where is the spirit of Youth! Let not the flower of adolescence bloom for so brief a moment! Arise, and onwards!"

I pretended to start crying.

"Asuma… I think I'm going to have to kill him."

Something thudded beside me. I realised it was one of Asuma's kunai.

"Be my guest."

We both started laughing, or rather wheezing, before silence settled around us again.

Gai didn't lie down, instead choosing to do 1000 pull ups on one of the branches nearby. I chose sleep.

* * *

Gai woke me up at the crack of dawn the next day, and I found myself oddly energised. The knowledge that we were so close was nourishing enough, so I skipped breakfast and set out at a sprint with Gai. It took another 4 hours to reach the gates.

Finally, I stood in front of my home, and couldn't believe how little had changed. The faces carved into the cliff, the colourful buildings and busy streets. Every so often a ninja would dart over the roof tops. I had really missed this place.

Someone was standing in the middle of the gates, wearing white and red, and I suddenly realised that it was the Third Hokage, welcoming me back personally.

I bowed immediately, before he approached.

"Maia,' his crinkled old face turned into a smile, 'it has been too long, welcome back."


	3. Chapter 3

**Guess what I went out and did today? I bought a new computer – that's right, after my dramatics last night about not being able to update, the very next day I am back. I am so happy that I could…write you a story :) **

**So without further ado, here ya go.**

"Maia,' the old man smiled up at me, 'Welcome home."

I bowed again.

"Thank you, Lord Hokage; it is an honour to have you personally great me." Well, that _was_ true, but it was also extremely odd for him to take the time out of his extremely busy schedule to great the lunatic girl who has been running from her own shadow for the past four years.

I could hear him chuckling, and chanced a glance up. He had taken his pipe out of his mouth to laugh at me. Annoyance was brewing behind my cool façade, but the old man didn't look like he was going to stop any time soon. I finally snapped, straightened and put my hands on my hips.

"What the hell, Geezer?"

He stopped laughing, but his grin was still in place.

"Ah, there she is,' he said, 'Maia, you never bowed to me before, nor did you ever call me 'Lord Hokage'. I thought you may have learned a thing or two on your travels, but I am pleased to note that you have not learned anything in regards to respecting one's elders."

I decided that he was complementing me, rather than telling me off for calling him a Geezer. I shrugged, and offered a smile.

"Well, I can't say I tried that hard. Anyway, how come you're here? Not that I don't appreciate it, but surely you don't meet all new comers to the village personally?"

He seemed to understand my suspicions, and nodded at me, before gesturing that we should walk. While I waited for him to speak, I took the chance to reacquaint myself with my old village. The street we walked down was unusually calm, though I guessed that the Chunin Exams would keep many busy, plus the fact that Konoha nin were favoured amongst clients, meaning that many were out on missions. The place still smelt the same, a strange combination of Konoha's traditional dishes and the aroma of the surrounding forests.

A woman overhead was beating a rug out of her window, while yelling at someone inside the house. The people that walked past us peered at me curiously, and I guessed that I practically had 'foreigner' stamped on my forehead.

"Maia, I have put out the word that you have returned, and informed the people with as much as they need to know about the events surrounding the your disappearance. Please understand there is some resentment and suspicion on their behalf, so I ask for your patience and understanding in advance. Given time, they will come around, but please pick your battles, and don't attack civilians."

I nodded, I guess attacking unarmed citizens was unfair, but he didn't say anything about laying off my fellow Nin, should they decide to have a go at me.

"I have alerted ANBU,' he continued, 'and all the Jounin, and so you will be able to wander the village freely."

I nodded again; half listening while checking out the stores on either side, and dodging the people that came by. I waited for the old guy to pause for breath before I cut in.

"And Asuma said I have somewhere to live?"

Sarutobi nodded, and puffed on his pipe.

"Yes, you have been assigned an apartment. Though, your new land lady seemed less than impressed when informed of your arrival. I'm afraid your reputation precedes you." I could have sworn the Geezer laughed. Damn it, I never thought my other land lords would have spread the stories of my incompetence this far. He continued.

"While I am sure you have questions for me, I ask that you wait. I understand that you have some catching up to do…"

Was it just me, or was the Geezer sounding unusually sly. I guessed that he was referring to Kakashi, but I didn't see why my catching up with an old friend would be such a big deal. I stared at the Hokage blankly, waiting for him to go on. He was clearly waiting for me to talk, though instead of engaging me in an intense staring competition, he spoke again.

"I feel that you may have some interest in Hatake Kakashi's team of Genin. Unfortunately, there is not time for a proper introduction at the moment. However there I believe that Kakashi will be waiting seeing them off at the exam, should you want to see him now."

My stomach squirmed a little at the mention of Kakashi; seeing him now? I didn't even have time to prepare what I was going to say to him…and there was the fact that I had just completed a 3 day journey; my appearance must be far from pleasing. As the Hokage turned another corner, I realised that we weren't anywhere near one of the apartment districts, and we certainly weren't wandering aimlessly either.

"Er…where are we going Sir?"

"To the first Chunin exam. Asuma wrote ahead that you would probably try to avoid Kakashi, and asked me to take you to the exam site personally. He is looking forward to seeing you again."

Again with the stomach lurch. I was going to kill Asuma for this.

"Does he still wear that stupid mask?" I asked, trying to act calm and indifferent, whereas on the inside all I could think was: ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod.

"I am afraid so."

Old habits die hard, as they say. He can't have changed that much then. I had nearly seen his face on several occasions, it had been my mission as a kid to tag along after Minato's team, practising my skill in stealth to try and catch a glimpse of him. When I made Genin at age 7, (Kakashi being 14) I no longer had the time to follow him around, so I settled for making up rumours of what his face was like. Acne scars, hare-lips, missing teeth; it didn't take him long to figure out why he suddenly had trouble getting dates. After chasing me around the village for a few hours, he declared that I'd never see his face, and would just have to settle for the imaginary one I had created for him. Yes, I was a brat.

The Hokage stopped suddenly, and turned back to face me.

"Here we are Maia; I believe the entrance to the exams is on the third floor, Kakashi should be there by now. Good Luck."

I stared at him. Silence settled around us. Then -,

"Nope."

I turned to walk away, covering my ears and humming loudly to block out anything he may say to try and convince me. Instead, two powerful hands landed on my shoulders. Asuma stood in front of me, looking very smug indeed.

"Ah Mai! I knew you would come in the end, I bet you can't wait to catch up with Kakashi, come on I'll walk you in, it's been so long since you've been here I bet you can hardly remember your way around…" he continued to talk, ignoring my feeble protests and guiding me through the doors of the building. His arm was like iron around my shoulders, and escape looked quite impossible at this point. I noticed three kids tailing behind us, looking at me curiously.

"Hey Asuma!" I half shouted, finally cutting off his ramblings of 'how great it is that the old gang is back together'. "Who're the kids?"

The boy with dark spiky hair sighed, muttering something about not being a kid. Asuma seemed to suddenly realise where we were, and why he was there, and half jumped when he turned towards his team.

"Oh them. Shikimaru, Choji and Ino, they're the Genin I was telling you about. Guys, this is Sumiko Maia. She recently returned to the village' (I scoffed at that, more like returned 30 MINUTES AGO), 'and she wanted to check out the Genin for this year's exam."

We resumed walking after Asuma decided that that was than enough information to sate his pupils, when the dark haired boy spoke up.

"Sumiko Maia, you're the White-nin, correct?"

Asuma and I stopped dead in our tracks. "Wow Asuma,' I muttered, 'You got one with a brain."

The girl Genin was looking frantically between Shikimaru and I, and demanding to know why I was nicknamed 'White-nin'. She started jabbing the boy in the arm, nagging at him to explain how he knew this.

"It was announced by the Hokage. If you paid more attention to what was going on around you, and less time doing your hair, you would know this Ino." The girl started nagging at a high pitched frequency that only dogs and bats would understand, but the boy ignored her, focusing on me once more.

"But aside from that, I had heard about you. You're not the average ninja are you?"

I shrugged, and tried to carry on walking. The Ino girl turned her rampage towards me. "And why are you called the White-nin? I don't see anything about you deserving name!" She was obviously referring to my olive complexion and dark hair.

Asuma and I laughed, knowing the real reason behind the name. I finally gave her an answer.

"I suppose it is because…My soul is as pure and white as snow."

Ino shut up, but Asuma muttered "You're so full of it. You sound like Kakashi."

I elbowed him in the ribs, and he shut up smartly. The other boy who had been busily cramming as many potato chips in his mouth as possible finally contributed to the conversation.

"Hey, but aren't you supposed to be dead?"

Asuma sharply reprimanded him for being rude, but I didn't really care; after all, I hadn't known that I was supposed to be dead until a few days ago.

"Yeah,' I replied, 'but that got boring."

Asuma was apologising under his breath for the insolence of his team; they certainly made a lot of noise. He was going on about respecting your elders, when I realised that it was less of an apology and more of a lecture on the way _I_ spoke to mine. He was still sore about the teasing during the journey home then. I just laughed his subtle hints off; respecting someone for being born before you was ridiculous, and in my books, only the meek and the stupid took part in such a tradition.  
We turned another corner, and came to a flight of stairs. On the second floor we let the Genin lead the way, seeing that there was a trap laid to weed out the undeserving applicants. There was a large group crammed around a doorway with the room number '301' hanging above. The genjutsu used to change the sign was crude, and I noised my disgust. Two proctors blocked the way, beating back anyone who tried to go through. Asuma's team stopped for a moment, taking in the scene, before Shikimaru motioned for them to continue down the hall.

I raised my eyebrows at Asuma.

"Wow, I'm guessing he didn't become that intelligent under your guidance." I nudged him gently in the ribs to show I was only joking. He just smiled.

"Yes, keep an eye on that one. He'd run circles around you too."

I laughed, but I could certainly see the potential in that one. He and I passed the crowd; Asuma nodding to one of the guys blocking the doorway. We reached the end of the corridor and climbed another flight of stairs to the third floor. I felt nervous again when I realised that Kakashi was going to be there, in front of the real room 301. I swallowed hard, and tried to control my breathing. Asuma glanced at me, before returning the nudge in the ribs.

"What are you so worried about? It's only Kakashi."

I made a strangled noise of agreement, but he had done nothing to ease my nerves. We zigzagged further into the building, the room numbers steadily growing. 278. 280. 282…  
Around another corner we went, and I ground to a halt and took a sharp breath.

301.

"The jerk isn't even here yet!"

I punched Asuma's arm and relaxed. Time had helped me to forget Kakashi's habit of tardiness. Knowing him, his team would show up late and miss out on the exam. Rubbing his arm, Asuma motioned for his team to gather round for one last pep talk, and I took the opportunity to wander down to the room, and stuck my head inside the door. It was already half full of Genin, and I scanned the head bands quickly. Leaf, Sand, Rain – huh even Sound turned up. I'd passed through their village a few months ago, before the Cloud. I had given me the creeps, and I had decided at first glance that there was no way that I was staying there. I mentally ticked off the other villages, and realised that I was attracting a fair amount of attention – the random, apparently bodiless girl. I pulled my head back, and looked over my shoulder at Asuma. He had finished talking to his team, and the lot of them were coming towards me. I stood back to let the three of them in, and the turned to Asuma.

"I'm going to check out Team 7."

He looked at me like I was crazy for wanting to go into the room with those amateurs.

"Maia, they're not even here yet, and what if someone recognises you?"

"They won't, they're all idiots Asuma."

I started to tie my long hair up into a ponytail. An old habit I had before going into battle. Sure this lot were only small fry, but I wasn't about to risk a lucky shot for the sake of a haircut. When it was out of my face, I turned my attention back to Asuma. He had recognised the meaning of the gesture and gave me a warning look.

"Just play nice. Don't start any fights and keep to yourself, ok?"

"Yes Asuma." I answered in monotone. I raised my eyebrows, to see if there was anymore to his lecture, but he simply reached forwards and held the door open for me.

"I'll see you in a bit then." I smiled, before slipping inside.

* * *

I flitted quickly into the corner of the room, Asuma's team didn't even notice. They were talking to another group of Genin, one member obviously being from the Hyuuga clan. I scanned the room again, and was annoyed to find several pairs of eyes staring back at me. Then I realised that I was the only one not wearing a headband, and I was alone, whereas this was clearly an exam for teams. That and I was still in a t-shirt and skirt; more brightly dressed than anyone else in the room.

More and more faces flickered towards me, and I watched with satisfaction as they smirked, taking me in from head to toe. No I did not look like a ninja at all – that was what made me so damned good at my job. They all had me picked as easy prey, and I found myself wanting one to attack – it would make a great pre-warm up to teach this lot a lesson about appearances.

Another lesson I'd learned from Kakashi.

The doors were pushed open again, and another team from the leaf village entered. Another Hyuuga and a boy who eerily resembled Gai…

Next thing the man himself poked his head in, stole a look in my direction and nipped out again. I caught the beginning of a laugh before the doors shut; Asuma must still be there and told Gai what I was up to. I checked the clock at the front of the room, and saw that there were only five minutes before the start of the test. I took a longer look at the other ninja's faces, trying to find a team that grabbed my attention in the way Asuma and Gai thought it should. Still nothing. Maybe Team 7 wimped out.

Unlikely, if Kakashi passed them, surely they were more impressive than that. I could see out of the corner of my eye one of the ninja coming towards me. They were about my age, and had an obviously lecherous intent. I could sense a hand reaching towards the split in my skirt. Without bothering to look at them, I said.

"Try it. You won't even get to touch me before I rip off your arm and beat you over the head with it. Ask yourself – is it _really _worth it."

Say yes. Oh please, I've always wanted to try the ol' "stop hitting yourself" game ninja style. I felt the hand pause as the guy weighed up whether or not he could take me. Time's up. I turned the full force of my glare on him.

"I said Piss Off."

Ah, Earth Ninja. Yes I would really enjoy killing him – even if the conflict between the Fire nation and the Earth nation had ended over 10 years ago. I'd started to radiate bloodlust, and as much of an amateur he was, he was ninja enough to sense it and back away. I slumped back against the wall, and blew a stray piece of hair out of my face. Those team 7 bozos were going to miss out then. I pushed of the wall, deciding to leave the room, when the doors burst open.

I stumbled backwards in shock. These were clearly the members of team 7. It was like seeing ghosts, and I recognised the two boys immediately. Sasuke Uchiha and Minato's boy.  
Sasuke was the splitting image of Itachi at that age; I couldn't look away. He felt my stare, and looked at me sharply. His eyes narrowed, I was undoubtedly familiar, despite the fact that I'd only met him once fleetingly when Itachi and I dated, and that was by accident. He looked me over, and I was waiting for the superior grin I'd received from the other rookies, but his eyes only narrowed further. Ah ha, clever boy. I am not some dozy girl who wandered in by accident.

We held each others gaze for a moment. Hmmm I wonder if he is as skilled as his brother… Our staring contest was broken when the blonde girl from Asuma's team pounced on him.

Huh, perhaps he isn't.

The girl in team 7 started yelling, and Minato's kid was picking a fight with one of the other leaf Genin. I gazed, wide-eyed at the bunch. They were…idiots. The lot of them, it was laughable to imagine Kakashi trying to handle this lot. All nine rookies began yelling and bragging, and I could feel the blood lust coming from the other Genin in the room. If that lot didn't shut up soon, they'd get themselves killed…

A grey haired guy stepped forward, and my heart leapt into my mouth. Kakashi? Then I looked at the guys face and shuddered. No, not Kakashi…thank God. He drew the rookies' attention towards the other ninja in the room, and they seemed to cotton on to the fact that every single ninja was seriously planning murder.

The grey haired guy was really just as bad as the rookies, bragging about how much he knew about the exam – which he had taken 7 times. Minato's kid was particularly impressed. I laughed quietly. Seven times – jeez he should just give it up if he hadn't already passed. He looked to be around my age, if a little older. I'd become Chunin at the age of 10. These kids were in awe of this guy, and gathered around while he pulled what looked like a deck of cards from his pocket.

At least he had quietened them down. I sighed, and straightened up. If this was it, it was time for me to leave before I was forced to sit the exam with them. I made my way towards the door, and heard the odd snigger coming from the back of the room. 'Laugh now' I thought bitterly. 'But Genin still count as ninja, and when you get out of here, I'm going to kick your-,'

The thought was cut short. Sound ninja sprinted to the front of the room. On total reflex I whipped out a kunai, gathered my chakra to my feet and circled around the attack, appearing behind one of the ninja. He had swiped his fist at the grey haired ninja, and I could already see that it was a delayed attack.

My knife was pressed against his throat before he could act, and rookies jumped back, shocked at my sudden appearance.

"You know,' I bit out between clenched teeth, 'I've been waiting for a reason." The Sound ninja swallowed hard. The ninja he had attacked suddenly keeled forward, vomiting onto the ground. That's when they took the opportunity to attack. The sound girl rushed towards my exposed back. I pushed the Nin I had captured away and ducked, before sweeping my leg around to knock her off her feet. Still crouched, I spun beneath her flying form, getting in another kick to the kidneys, before jumping into the air and burying my heel into her abdomen and crushing her down into the floor.

The other two were coming at me, and I pushed myself up into the air to avoid their sound attack.

"Bitch!" One of them spat, and aimed a palm with a strange hole in it towards me. Another attack with sound. I quickly used the replacement jutsu, and reappeared crouched in front of the attacker. I swift upwards kick shattered his jaw, and a chakra fuelled fist to the stomach sent him flying into the wall. The last one came charging at me, but I sensed his hesitation. I crushed my elbow into his throat, sending his feet into the air, and his head crashing down onto one of the desks.

There was a sudden puff of smoke, and a deep voice boomed from its midst.

"What the fuck is going on here?"

I froze.

The smog cleared, and the silhouettes came into focus; Ibiki and a large group of proctors. Ibiki barely looked surprised when he saw that I was standing in the middle of the mayhem – he had gotten used to such antics during my few years in ANBU.

"Maia. Yes I had heard you were back. I'll enquire as to what you think you're doing?"

"Teaching."

He nodded thoughtfully, taking in the Sound Ninja that were finally getting to their feet, shooting murderous glares in my direction. The rookies were looking at me suspiciously, most of them looking terrified, and clearly thinking that I was going to be an opponent in the exams. All except the Shikimaru boy and Sasuke.

"Get up you lot! Another stunt like this and I'll make sure none of you make Chunin! You're a disgrace!" Ibiki barked at the Sound Nin; the other ninja hurriedly moving away from them, as if associating with them would earn a butt kicking too. Ibiki turned back to me.

"Can I expect your services in ANBU any time soon then?"

I heard Minato's boy gasp loudly figuring out that I was a Jounin. I shrugged at Ibiki; I wasn't overly keen on rejoining the forces that drove me from Konoha.

"I don't know, I've only just got back so I plan to take some time to set myself up, reacquaint myself and so forth."

He nodded, he version of a smile sliding onto his face.

"Yes, I imagine there would be a few people you would want to meet again…" The smile was gone as quickly as it came, but jeez, what was with the people in the village today? Was there some joke I was missing out on? Did I have something on my face?

"Anyway, we're going to start the exam now – would you like to stay on as a proctor?"

"Uh, no."

I started backing slowly to the door.

"I'll catch up with you soon Ibiki."

He waved and then turned his attention to the stunned Genin. The last thing I heard before I left the room was Ibiki shouting "What are you looking at maggots! Get moving before I fail the lot of you!"

I slid out the door, head bowed as I laughed to myself. I had almost forgotten how Ibiki was; we had worked together on a few missions. Not the most fun guy to work with, but he was reliable. Still daydreaming, I tugged the elastic out of my hair, letting it flop over my face. I ran a hand through it to reclaim my vision, just as a movement caught my eye.

"…Mai?" A deep voice came from behind me. I turned around, and there he was.


	4. Chapter 4

"…Mai?" A deep voice came from behind me. I turned around, and there he was.

My usually frantic brain ground to stand still as I gazed at my old friend. He was slouching against the wall, reading by the doors. I hadn't even noticed his presence before. There was something different about him, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Same messy hair, calm demeanour, he was tall and lean and…

Maybe being away so long had made me forget…yes that must be it. Kakashi pushed off of the wall he had been leaning on and stood to face me, his one visible eyebrow raised. I realised I was yet to answer, and was about to greet him when my eyes landed on the book.

"Jeez, you're still a pervert!"

The corner of his eye crinkled, he was smiling at me.

"Hmm it appears that you have changed in appearance only, Mai."

I shut my mouth and smiled back at him, for some reason feeling suddenly shy. Did Shinobi hug? Should I shake his hand?

My stomach was flip-flopping with nerves and excitement. To hell with it then. I stepped forward and reached towards him, before embracing him in a bear-hug.

"Long time no see Kakashi." I said into his chest, smiling again when his hands brushed the small of my back.

My stomach squirmed again, and I quickly let go of him. This wasn't normal; I must be coming down with something.

Though it was covered, I could still make out the lines of his face. The curve of his cheek, the line of his tight jaw. He cleared his throat and I realised I was staring with my mouth open. I snapped out of it quickly, blushing slightly. God I was behaving like one of the Konoha Fan girls.

"Sorry, I just realised that you have hardly changed."

I looked down at my feet, feeling very awkward. He was still watching me, trying to figure me out. After trying to ignore him for far too long, I finally burst out: "Why do people keep staring at me like that? Have I got something on my face? Oh my god, I do, don't I?" I rushed over to the window, trying to check my reflection for stray pieces of food that may have missed my mouth. Kakashi chuckled quietly.

"I suppose that we're all surprised at the way you have turned out."

And what did that mean exactly. I shot him a glare, that better turn out to be a complement or he was going for a dive in the River Styx. He appeared not to notice, and started to make his way down the hallway, leaving me to chase after him. Just like old times.

"Where're you going?" I bobbed beside him, deciding that my face was perfectly presentable.

"Well, I imagine that you were the surprise Asuma and Gai told me to wait for, so perhaps we should go pay them a visit?"

I shrugged still bouncing along behind him, before I suddenly asked: "Do you know why everyone is acting so weird? They were all acting odd when I arrived, though that could have been the whole 'back from the dead' thing…"

He sighed.

"Yes…I have a fair idea of the reason…"

He didn't go on. I was about to press him further, but he changed the subject to a more enjoyable one.

"I take it that you were the cause of the racket in the exam room."

"Ah you know me so well."

The eye crinkled again, and I followed him through a door that lead outside, and then down a long staircase to the ground.

"I checked out your team Kakashi. God, everyone must have been vying for them." He laughed, and looked at me over his shoulder, shaking his head.

"Er…weren't they?" I asked cautiously. Geez, who wouldn't want Minato's kid and the Uchiha survivor on their squad? Kakashi avoided the question again.

"They should be finished in little over an hour; I can introduce you to them formally if you like."

"'K"

Heh this oughta be good, sitting in on Kakashi's attempt to baby-sit. I still couldn't get over the fact that a renowned ninja such as himself, who had killed countless ninja and fought in the war, would willingly give himself up to play Mother Hen. No, I would not miss that for the world. We reached the bottom of the stairs, and rounded the building, walking straight into Gai, Asuma and who I guessed was Kurenai.

Asuma and Gai's faces lit up deviously. Kakashi waved a hand in greeting, I didn't bother. Gai leered at me.

"I heard you caused a bit of trouble in the examination rooms." He looked on the verge of a lecture. I thought fast.

"Er…I was just teaching the kids a lesson on the value of youth." With my fists, I added laughing inwardly. I had said the magic word, but ended up in a tear filled embrace from Gai.

"Can't…breathe…"

Kakashi tapped the over-emotional Nin on the shoulder, and Gai quickly let go, having found a new target to attack. While he was busy badgering Kakashi for a rematch, Asuma introduced the Kunoichi at his side.

"Maia, this is Kurenai, I think you two may have met a few years ago…"

I shook Kurenai's hand, nodding at her.

"Yes, we may have worked together in the past. Have you made Jounin?" She nodded, looking pleased with herself. I didn't miss the hint of pride in Asuma's face as he looked at her. Huh, so Gai's suspicions about these two were right.

"Just recently, I'm still learning the ropes, but so far it's been great."

"I bet." I snuck a grin at Asuma, who looked slightly shocked.

I looked back at the others, and saw that Kakashi had pulled his book out again and was leaning against a nearby tree reading, while Gai was challenging him to every contest known to man.

"Sprints!"

"No"

"Obstacle course!"

"Nope."

"Push-ups!"

"Uh-uh."

I watched with interest as Gai became more and more agitated with his cool rival, until Asuma pulled me back to the conversation.

"Say, Maia…You probably need to get supplies for your new place right?"

I stared at him blankly. Everyone was suddenly quiet, looking at me. My new place. Apartment. Key…

"Argh! Shit! Where is it, where is it?"

I started to pat myself down frantically. How could I have lost it already?

"Mai." I un-strapped my kunai holder from my leg and tipped it upside down, seeing if I'd chucked the key in there.

"Maia."

I pulled out the neck of my top, and checked my bra for it then my shuriken pouch and the pocket sewn into my skirt.

"Maia!"

"WHAT?" I practically shouted at Asuma. The key was being dangled in front of my face from a chain. I groaned inwardly.

"I have it. You never had a key."

"…I know." I stuck my chin out, trying to look like I had. He raised his eyebrows.

"Anyway,' he continued, as I sulked before him, 'I was going to suggest that Kurenai could take you shopping and then show you to your place. But she will carry the key."

Kurenai looked as surprised as I did at the suggestion. Asuma shrugged at us.

"Shopping is a girl thing; I wouldn't know where to start."

He was up to something.

"Well okay,' I said, raising my eyebrows at Kurenai, silently asking her if she minded, 'but Asuma, you should really know where the supermarket is." He deadpanned, having the good grace to be slightly embarrassed. I was hungry, and I sure didn't have food at my place. I made to head off with Kurenai, but turned around and called to Kakashi.

"Hey, Kakashi, I'll meet you at the training grounds in an hour?"

He didn't look up from his book, but waved. Well, that was nice.

* * *

The moment Mai and Kurenai disappeared through the trees, Gai and Asuma pounced.

"So Kakashi, she grew up well huh?"

Gai's maniacal green took up his vision, and he was forced to put his book away. Asuma was watching him expectantly. They were behaving like puppy's, waiting for a reward for their good work. Kakashi looked at them blankly.

"It's Mai."

"So?"

"So it's Mai. She used to cut holes in your jumpsuits, Gai. She's a kid."

Asuma piped up.

"She's a woman now!"

"A fine one!" added Gai.

Kakashi sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew an ambush like this was on the way, but he had been so distracted by the though of Mai's return that he hadn't had time to think of diversion tactics.

"She's jail-bait."

"No she's not! When she left maybe, but she's nearly 20 now!" Gai was almost dancing with excitement.

Kakashi groaned and started to walk away. There was no way that he was discussing this now. He could see that she had grown up, and at first glance she was a woman. But then she opened that mouth of hers and it was like watching her transform back into the unruly 14 year old. Gai was suddenly in front of him, walking backwards so as to continue the conversation.

"All I'm saying is that the women you've dated in the past were…Well we didn't really-,"

"They were a pain in the ass Kakashi. At least Mai has her head screwed on right", cut in Asuma.

"I said no. Drop it. She has enough to deal with _without_ you lechers harassing her. Besides, I have a date tonight. So just leave this alone."

He stared both of them down, and when he was sure that they would leave him alone, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

* * *

"Apples!"

I rushed excitedly over to the large barrel stacked with the fruit and greedily shoved ten in a bag.

"Maia! Do you really need ten?"

I'd already bitten into one, and managed a muffled "yes" around it. As it turned out, the Hokage had set me up with a tab at a certain store, and so long as I accepted missions that would start to come my way, I was allowed to take what I wanted now, and pay back the owner later.

I chucked a handful of bananas into the large basket Kurenai had volunteered to carry, along with milk, eggs and ice cream.

"Shouldn't you get meat, or vegetables, or something?" Kurenai asked; eyeing the 3 litre tub I had so joyfully selected.

"Yes, but wouldn't you rather help me eat this?" I pointed to the ice-cream. Most Kunoichi dieted, but with the amount of activity they did, they ended up looking like scary, overly muscled genderless beings. I ran around enough to keep most of the fat at bay, but hell, I'm a girl, I'm supposed to be curvy.

I remember being teased as a 12 year old by the teen Kunoichi for indulging in ice-cream, an experience that had ended badly. The girl's exact words were "nobody likes a lard-arse". I'd told her that I'd rather be a lard arse than a "fat sack of useless", stabbed her with the ice-cream and spent the better half of the day hiding in a tree. Kakashi had to come and find me and coax me down.

I smiled at the memory, I wondered if he still remembered that. Still wandering down memory lane, I didn't look up in time to stop myself from crashing into the man in front of me. I choked on the piece of apple I had bitten off, and floundered around for a moment coughing. Kurenai hit me a few times on the back, and I could breathe again.

"O-oh my god, I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying any attention to where I was going-,"

He waved my apology aside, a slow smile spreading across his face

"Ha-ha, well truth be told I've been waiting for an excuse to talk to you since I came in. So thanks."

That sure shut me up. I glanced at Kurenai, what the hell did he want? I saw her concealing a smile behind her hand.

"I'm Adam by the way."

I finally looked back at him, and found that he was really quite handsome. He had short black hair that stuck out at odd angles and icy blue eyes. A scar ran down the length of his cheek and curved under his jaw, he had another small one in his eyebrow. He was dressed in traditional ANBU uniform, the mask pushed back on his head. He tall, around my height, which felt weird, being able to see eye to eye.

"Um, Maia." I waved lamely.

"Oh right, you're the one that just came back to the village right?"

"Mmhm."

Kurenai jabbed me in the ribs, and I could practically read her mind 'stop acting like a zombie and ask him out'. Thankfully, Adam took care of that problem for me.

"Look, I was just wandering if you wanted to go out for a drink sometime?"

"…k"

"Great when are you free? I'm available tonight."

I came back to my senses, and switched back into intelligent person mode. I had dealt with guys before; it was the ANBU uniform that had thrown me.

"Sorry, I've already got plans, but maybe later in the week?"

He nodded, looking relieved that I'd agreed.

"Great, what's your number?"

"Dunno. Kurenai, what's my number?"

She was grinning outright now, and seized his hand, writing it down neatly.

"Ok then. I'd better go as my ice-cream is melting, and you don't want that to be on your record."

He laughed, and nodded. "Right, I'll give you a call then." And then he left the store all together.

I looked at Kurenai wide eyed, completely at a loss as to how I managed to get a date so fast, it wasn't as though I had done anything impressive other than nearly fall flat on my arse and choke.

"Impressive, you've been here, what, 2 hours and you already have a date."

We walked up to the counter, spreading out my items upon it.

"Yeah. I wish I could say that I was this popular in the other villages I stayed at."

I suddenly had a brainwave. Maybe Kurenai would be able to tell me why Asuma and Gai were being so creepy about Kakashi and I. I asked her, and I got the weird smile again.

"What?"

"Ok, look. When you left the village, you were 14 and I guessed that group of guys considered you as a child; they were all adults and having serious relationships, you were like the little sister. And now you're back, and...Well…you've changed. A lot."

I looked down at myself. I hadn't gotten any taller, and I didn't think my face had changed all that much, so all Kurenai got for her grand explanation was a blank stare.

"Well…you're a woman now. An adult like them, and they have taken notice. Maybe you haven't changed drastically in appearance, but it's more about the way you compose yourself."

Right, by having a mental breakdown over losing an invisible key. She could see that I didn't believe her, and shrugged.

"Hey, you asked. That's my best guess. They have probably planned to get you and Kakashi together, like some fairytale ending."

I just about choked again. Me and Kakashi. _Me _and Kakashi? There was no way…he was far too old for me, he was on the better side of 30, and I was still a teenager. Never mind that I was only a teen for another month…I laughed a Kurenai, and she shrugged again.

The cashier finished checking my items, tallied them up and bagged them and sent us on our way.

* * *

"So, do you know where we're going?"

Kurenai and I struggled down the street, and I assumed she was leading me to one of the apartment districts.

"Yeah, just a bit further. You're in the city centre, which is handy. I hear you're set up in a really nice place."

Wow, the Hokage must be feeling pretty guilty about my disappearing act to be helping me so much with setting up my life here. I wasn't looking in front of me, choosing to admire the colourful store fronts, when someone barged into my shoulder. I managed to hold on to the groceries and turn to face them and apologise. It was a woman, and she was positively snarling at me. She walked away quickly, and I realised that it was no accident; she was one of the people who didn't want me back then.

"You okay?"

Kurenai was looking at me carefully, clearly wondering if I was going to collapse in a sobbing heap. It was ridiculous really, I had dealt with people who had outright attacked me in the street in the past, and I had been warned about resentment here. I chose not to answer and carried on in the direction we were walking.

We continued in silence, and there were no more aggressive advances, though a group of seedy guys tried to get Kurenai's attention. They were Genin, and fair game. The one that got too close got a swift kick in the shins.

I was muttering to myself and didn't notice that Kurenai had stopped and was fishing around in her bag. We were standing outside a very modern complex; dark wood, and at least 6 stories high. I could see from here that each room had a balcony, which made this place extremely classy. Most Nin quarters were a single room with one window. She walked inside, and I followed her, looking around impressed. Inside was the same dark wood, and there were artistic vines creeping up the walls. There was a dark oak reception desk in the middle of the room, and Kurenai marched up and introduced us. The woman's face soured when she saw me.

"Ah yes. The incompetent one…"

"Wow – you know Joushi too?" I offered a grin, but the woman rolled her eyes and spat on the floor. I wrinkled my nose; perhaps this was not such a posh place after all.

"We have the key, and if there isn't anything else, we'll be going up now" Said Kurenai.

The sour woman's face turned towards Kurenai, before she reached under the desk and slammed a sheet of paper down on top.

"Rules. Stick to 'em, or get out."

She turned a walked away into a back room. I blinked at her departing back. Things were certainly going to be hellish around here. Perhaps I should let Kurenai keep the key, that woman would surely skin me alive if I lost it.

"Come on, you're on the top floor."

I grabbed the paper and followed Kurenai through a side door and up the stairs. It was going to take a while to get to the top, so I took the chance to read the Rules.

_No loud noise after 7pm._

_No pets._

_No parties_

_Doors shut at 10pm. No key, no entry until 6 am next morning._

I gulped. How many nights would I end up sleeping in the doorway for the sake of a missing key? Kurenai suddenly grabbed my arm and turned it towards her. She started writing on it quickly before pressing the key into my palm. She pointed to each sentence and described them.

"This is your room number. This is my address, this is Kakashi's. This is the name of a great key cutter who I think you will be doing business with. A lot."

I made a mental note to write this in lipstick on the mirror when I got in.

"Okay, thanks for everything Kurenai. I'd invite you in, but I have to go, like, now and meet Kakashi's team. Drop by when you've got spare time; I have ice-cream."

She laughed at me, said her goodbyes and dashed back down the stairs. I was pleased to see that I still had the key, and unlocked the door. I scooted my shopping through the door with a foot, and was momentarily blinded when I looked up.

The room was amazing. It was still fairly small, the living area and the kitchen were part of one long room. Walking through the door caused you to immediately wind up in the kitchen, which was new and clean. When you walked further in, there was a white sofa set up against the wall, opposite a small television with dark wooden shelves set above it. The walls were painted white; contrasting nicely with the dark wooden floors, but the best part about the room was the enormous window that took up the entire end wall. It was arched at the top, and the sill was unpainted, matching the dark floor. All of Konoha was spread out before my living room.

I checked the clock and saw that I was already running late to meet Kakashi, but I took a quite look at the bedroom and bathroom. Both followed the theme on the living area, but the Bedroom had a sky-light, as well as several tall leafy plants to keep the whole 'leaf village' thing going.

Yes, this place would be a mess in no time.

I turned to leave, and realised that the key was gone. I really should pay more attention to these kinds of things. Instead of going back to beg the lady, I locked the door, propped a window open and leapt down onto the rooftops below.

* * *

**Phew, ok I just wanted to get the whole setting up thing out of the way, was going to include meeting Kakashi's team in this chap, but it's late, so you'll have to make do I'm afraid. Thanks for the reviews! I post a new chapter when the last one gets a review, so …you know…**

**Anyway, I doubt I'll be able to stay away for long, so you never know when the next one will be up. It'll be awesome. Don't miss it. :D**


	5. Chapter 5

I jumped out of the window and landed on the roof next to the complex. The day was cooling down now, and I registered that by the time I got back I would freeze. I cursed myself for not changing into leggings and socks; but when I turned to jump back through the window, it was blown shut.

Crap. Oh well, if I got sick it didn't matter, I had to go and see a doctor about this excitable stomach anyway. I actually had training in basic first aid, and could heal most flesh wounds, but when it came to actual sickness, well, last time I tried to cure someone they ended up in the ICU.

I started to run in the direction of the training grounds, and was surprised at how quickly everything came back to me. I remembered that the jump between the Lotus Restaurant and the library was further than it looked and that most of the tiles on the roof of Apartment Complex D6 were loose and would send you sliding over the edge if you didn't concentrate. The quickest way to the training grounds was by avoiding the centre of Konoha, and heading towards the Eastern forest – that was one downside to living in the middle of the city. There were ninja bouncing off the rooftops every few seconds, and I had to focus my attention on their chakra to avoid a complete wipe out.

I ran past a window, and had to dodge a sudden wave of washing water being thrown out. I gathered my Chakra to my feet and leapt over the small tidal wave, laughing as I heard the people walking in the street below yell when they got soaked. The laugh quickly turned into a yawn. Jeez, I'd ignored how tired I was from the journey all day, but it was finally catching up to me. Hopefully introductions wouldn't last long, and I had wanted to talk the Geezer too, but that would just have to wait until tomorrow.

Once I was out of the busy part of the city, I allowed myself to go on autopilot, running and dodging on reflex so as to rest my tired body.

I jumped off the roof I was on and down into the street, having only another few meters to go before leaving the populated area of Konoha into the wilderness. I followed the flattened grass track through the trees for a few minutes, before breaking out into a clearing. In the distance, I could see four figures standing by the river bend – Minato's son's bright orange jumpsuit told me exactly who was there. I stopped running and walked over to them, trying to slow my heart rate and breathing. I ran a hand through my hair to try and untangle what was now a wind-swept mess, and straightened my skirt.

Kakashi looked up when he felt my approach, and the Genin turned around to see who it was. I raised a weary hand in greeting, before taking my place next to Kakashi.

"Ah, Maia, you decided to show up after all." I rolled my eyes; he couldn't possibly be giving _me_ shit for being late. I mumbled something incoherent, and the turned to size up his team. The blonde was gawking from me to Kakashi and back, the girl looked nervous, and Sasuke was giving me the same glare as before. Kakashi cleared his throat.

"I believe you all know who this is, after the entrance she made at the Exams, but I feel a formal introduction is in order."

I swept my hand through my hair again, and muttered under my breath: "yeah, but don't tell them too much." I knew he heard me; the guy's hearing was freakish.

"This is Sumiko Maia, a Jounin who previously worked in the ANBU black ops. She made Chunin aged ten; so you all have catching up to do."

The blonde instantly looked annoyed, and was about to mouth off before Kakashi cut across him.

"Maia, these are my subordinates; Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto."

I nodded at them, too tired for an emotional greeting. The boy Naruto finally seemed to break, and pointed at me shouting.

"What's so great about her? She doesn't look like a ninja! She doesn't even have a head band! Kakashi-sensei, you're just trying to impress your Girlfriend."

I smothered a laugh when I looked at Kakashi's face; he had groaned and was rolling his eyes. Clearly these outbursts happened often. I bent down slightly to answer his accusations.

"You're right. I don't look like a ninja, but you certainly have the costume down. Yet, who was the one that actually took down the scary Sound Nin, and who was the one that stood around and wished he had?"

The kid looked pissed, and I wondered if he had the gall to attack. He pulled out a kunai, huh, guess he did.

"I'll show you what I'm made of! Fight me!"

I straightened and looked a Kakashi, alarmed. He seemed to be quite enjoying himself.

"I don't have to, do I?"

He shrugged, adopting a care-free tone.

"I suppose it'd help him learn his place, though of course, you may be too old now to keep up with the kids…"

I punched him in the arm, instantly enraged.

"I'm a teenager, Geezer!"

He shrugged again and muttered something about telling that to Gai. I didn't know what that meant, so I ignored it. Growling to myself, I spat out "Fine!" and pulled out a knife. I marched off into the centre of the field, stopped and stuck my hip out, waiting for Naruto to get started. Kakashi finally looked at my thunderous face, and remembered to shout out a warning.

"Mai! Defence only – don't kill them."

I threw my kunai at him in a fit of anger. I was tired, hungry and so not in the mood for sparing right now. Unless it was with Kakashi; the men of this village where becoming increasingly irritating and to be able to vent my frustration would do a world of good.

"Hurry up then Uzumaki!"

Naruto's face was set with determination, but he had not yet adopted a stance to attack. We stood there for a while, and I was about to start yelling again when he called out.

"Put your headband on and fight me properly."

"A headband doesn't make you a Ninja."

Even as I said that, I reached round it the back of my skirt where I had tucked it; I had figured that I may run into trouble in the village, and the best way to prove my citizenship was to present the Hiate. I tied my hair up into a pony tail, and then fastened the forehead protector. I could see the rookies' looks of surprise when they saw the deep cut through the leaf emblem. I guess they didn't know too much about my history after all.

The kid suddenly charged towards me. I dropped my defensive pose and rolled my eyes.

"Are you frigging serious-,"

I could suddenly sense chakra behind me, and I turned in time to see a lunging shadow clone and duck, causing the clone and the boy to crash into one another. I doubled up laughing at the sad heap before me, Naruto having banged his head and lying there, dazed.

"What are you two waiting for, off you go."

I looked up at the sound of Kakashi's voice, and was supremely pissed to see him waving the other two towards me.

"What the hell Kakashi! You're the teacher!"

He smiled and waved, before opening his book.

The others were clever enough not to try a frontal attack, and both disappeared suddenly. This was reminding me a lot of the bell test, and if they had already passed, that meant they knew that the key was teamwork. Suddenly both Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke, and I was left standing alone in the grass. I could still sense their Chakra, but decided that I'd at least let them feel like they had a chance to beat me.

I stood perfectly still, monitoring them, kunai still raised. The only thing Genin had going for them was that they were stupid and unpredictable. I wouldn't lower my guard for anyone – I'd learnt that the hard way. Kakashi chuckled as he watched me slowly scanning the area.

"You're such an ass." I muttered, hoping he had heard that.

20 kunai suddenly came flying towards me from different directions, all with exploding tags attached. I dodged them quickly, jumping and flipping to a space where they wouldn't hit. I knew I was being lead there, and was ready for Sakura's attack. She rushed towards me, attempting to sweep my legs, but when I bent to counter, she disappeared. A clone. Her presence was suddenly above me, her kick about to meet my head. I charged charka to my hands, grabbed her leg and flung her into a tree nearby. Out of defensive habit I threw my kunai at her, only at the last minute remembering I wasn't supposed to hurt her and adjusting the aim so that only her clothes would be pinned. I didn't bother to stick around to make sure my aim was true; two Naruto's had grabbed me, holding me still in front of Sasuke. He started making hand signs; ah the Uchiha fire breath…how average. My body was engulfed in flames for a moment, before I released the jutsu and all three clones disappeared.

The real Naruto came running out in the field, looking around to see where I'd gone.

"Where the hell did she go? That coward I bet she's hid-,"

My hand burst through the ground and closed around his ankle; the head hunter jutsu I'd learned from Kakashi. I yanked him down, and appeared in front of the only part that wasn't buried in the earth, his head.

"I don't need a stupid Sharingan to copy jutsu." I threw a glare over my shoulder at Kakashi, and was surprised to see he was actually watching instead of reading his perverted book.

He suddenly raised a hand and seemed to be pointing at me, when I realised that he was pointing behind. I flicked my head around sharply and all I could see were dark red eyes staring back. The world around me suddenly dissolved to black and white, and I found myself unable to move as Sasuke advanced. My hands were tied behind me, and I had my back to some sort of post. He raised his kunai, smirking at his success.

"Oh no! Please! Anything but this!" I cried, before I smiled deviously. Honestly, after a childhood of sparing with Itachi, I had long since learnt how to break this kind of genjutsu. I disrupted my chakra flow and the world came flooding back into colour. Sasuke was still advancing, seemingly unaware that I had forced myself out of the trap. I jumped and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying backwards. He landed on his feet, looking thoroughly pissed off at being caught, and started to come at me again – I could see the intent to kill in his eyes. That was a good thing; it was the only way to fight me, but I had had enough of entertaining Kakashi's brats.

Thankfully, the man himself appeared next to me.

"Oy, oy, that's enough."

Sasuke pulled to a halt, looking furious. I huffed and jutted out my hip. "Can I leave now?"

It was starting to get dark, and I still had to find my way back to the apartment, break in or beg for a new key. And if I arrived back after 10, Kakashi could count on my crashing on his couch for the night. Naruto was still stuck in the ground, though he didn't seem to be trying too hard to get out, and Sakura was staying still, absorbed in the fight.

"Hey Sensei! Kick her ass!" Naruto suddenly yelled. I laughed, and rolled my eyes at Kakashi.

"Yeah right, as though he could keep up with me."

He raised his eyebrow at the challenge, and I was surprised when he put the book away altogether.

"Would you like to find out?"

His dark grey eye peered into my green ones. He was serious, I could see that much, and my stomach gave that familiar lurch. Suddenly everything felt still and silent. I hear my heart beating, feel every breathe draw through my chest. A light breeze played across my body, but it was not the cause of the gooseflesh on my arms. We stared at each other, waiting for someone to make a move. We were too close to pull off attack unscathed, and the tension between us was mounting. The kids were silent, realising that something good was going to happen if they didn't disturb us. I felt a little thrill run down my spine, and tingle down my legs. I hadn't fought him in years, and I had learned a lot on my adventures. One move now and he would attack, and visa-versa.

Somewhere a branch snapped, and the spell was broken. We both shot away from each other, me throwing shrunken and he blocking them with a knife. I landed a good 20 meters away from where he did and skidded to a halt.

He landed on top of the river, and immediately weaved hand signs. A water serpent rose up behind him and threw itself at me. I summoned a clone, and instructed it forwards into the middle of the attack. Just before the water hit, I jumped onto the clones shoulders, and leapt over the tidal wave. Kakashi met me in the air, and I already had my shuriken out. I threw several at him, which of course he dodged easily, before aiming a kick in my direction. My hands blurred as a summoned another clone in the air to pull me out of the trajectory, and throw me back to the ground. Kakashi landed a distance away from me, but I charged forwards immediately. Again we aimed a series of kicks and punches; though all were blocked and we both remained unscathed.

"Give up Kakashi,' I panted, as I blocked yet another kick, and tried to sink my elbow into his stomach, 'You're too old!"

He dodged my elbow, and grabbed a kunai, attempting to cut my arm. I brought round my other hand, also wielding a knife, and blocked him. We stood locked, each trying to force the others hand away.

"And you're too cocky." He retorted, before he sent me flying backwards. In midair I weaved signs, before blowing fire out of my mouth, a jutsu I created using the Uchiha technique as inspiration.

A bird of fire swept down on Kakashi, trained like a missile on his form. He was forced to jump away from me, allowing me to land properly. The bird targeted the older Nin, and he was forced to retreat and dodge frantically at the risk of being burned to a crisp. I took the opportunity to gather chakra into the palm of my hand, compressing it to and packing it tight; the Sonic Bomb, another jutsu I had created. When released, it could be devastating, but it took longer that it was often possible to focus and compress enough chakra in the midst of battle for a great effect. In the meanwhile, Kakashi raised the water-serpent from the river again, and wrapped it around my bird, extinguishing it. The steam would be perfect cover. I started rushing into it, all the while drawing out more chakra. I could feel the bomb start to shudder, I had to concentrate on balancing the energy, or it could explode too early and I'd shoot my hand off. I simultaneously scanned the area for movement, before I heard a chirping in the distance, I swung around, and saw the Kakashi had raised his headband to reveal his Sharingan; Chidori crackling in his hand. We rushed towards each other, preparing for a final strike; my Sonic Bomb against his Lightening Strike. I barely registered my glowing white skin, as I dipped into the other chakra supply, the kekki genkai, to power up my attack further. He appeared through the steam suddenly and thrust his hand forward at the same time as I.

I was thrown backwards, an enormous explosion taking place before me, and a terrible boom around me. I hit the ground hard on my back, and slid several meters.

Shit – that really hurt.

I struggled to my feet immediately, searching through the dust and steam for Kakashi. I pulled out another kunai and raised it in front of me, unsure of whether only I was affected by the attack or if he too was lying injured somewhere.

"Mai, are you alive?" Kakashi called somewhere in front of me.

I stayed silent, unsure of whether or not it was a trap. I swiftly darted towards the voice, fanning out my supremely increased chakra to try to detect his. Found him. He was standing still, though undoubtedly scanning the area with his Sharingan for me. I put on a burst of speed, becoming nothing but a white streak in the air, before slicing at him with my knife. The clang of metal against metal broke the silence, and we stood facing each other at a stand off.

"Ah, so you survived it. I'd say that this is the end of our match." I didn't lower my weapon; ninja were not averse to cheating in battle. He seemed to understand my thinking, and lowered his weapon first, trusting that I wouldn't take advantage. I lowered mine also, before jabbing a finger into his chest.

"You cheater! You used the eye! So much for just sparring!"

The wind blew away some of the dust, and I was able to see the Genin running towards us, looking shocked. Naruto was more excited than shocked, really. Kakashi raised his eyebrows at me, as if I had done something wrong.

"What?"

The wind blew hander, and the last of the dust blew away, revealing the large, shallow crater in which we now stood.

"I had to; you used the bomb. You would have blown the lot of us up, look what _you _did."

I gulped at looked around at the damage, and realised that my hand now hurt, Chidori had still burned my palm through the Chakra.

"And,' added Kakashi, 'you're glowing."

I looked down at myself, and shrieked when I realised he was right. I had accidentally activated the second source of Chakra when attacking. I must have been really exhausted then, I normally couldn't tap into that so easily unless my own supply was used up.

Everything about me had turned white; my hair, skin, clothes – I knew that even my eyes would have changed colour, the green disappearing completely. It was a side-effect when I activated the other chakra, my body was visibly coated in it, and the chakra was, of course, white.

I carefully dissipated the chakra, unsure as to how my body would cope. I could feel myself weakening as I let go, and knew that I was back to normal when I started to topple over. Kakashi caught my arm and brought it round his shoulders, propping me up. His students were still staring at me, bug-eyed. Kakashi noticed and gestured with his free hand towards me.

"Sumiko Maia; the White-Nin."

My head drooped at fatigue settled in, and my stomach grumbled. I needed to replenish my stomach and chakra or I'd end up in the hospital. And I had lost the damned key to my apartment. I was annoyed again.

"Dammit Kakashi! Why'd you have to suggest a sparring match! I'll have to go to the frigging emergency room now! I haven't eaten since breakfast and just finished a big journey and you think you can just-,"

"Ok, ok, I'll take you home and you can fix yourself up."

I blushed slightly, and mumbled that I couldn't as I had lost the key.

"I know."

I glared at him. He was just saying that, he couldn't possibly have predicted that I would…or maybe I really was useless. He used his free hand to fumble inside his vest, before pulling out a key on a long chain and putting it round my neck.

Yes, I was being useless, and it seemed everyone knew it.

"Ok then, you're dismissed." He said to the Genin before half supporting, half dragging me away.

Naruto was suddenly bouncing around at my elbow.

"Hey, hey! What was that attack?"

"Um. A bomb."

"Where'd you learn to do that?"

"I created it."

"And why were you glowing."

"Coz."

"Can you teach me?"

I smiled to myself. I didn't need to teach Naruto about that type of chakra, he was in a similar situation to me.

"Afraid not."

He moaned in protest, but smiled at me and ran off to join the others, who were watching as Kakashi and I limped away.

"Huh seems you have a fan." I looked quickly at Kakashi, and saw that he was smiling at me. I nodded. I was starting to notice how much my hand hurt now; I'd have to attempt to heal that tomorrow.

"So…did I at least leave a mark?" I asked, hoping that I had finally caught up to Kakashi with the strength of my jutsu. He looked over our shoulders at the crater in the distance that his team were now walking around in, and then looked at me sarcastically.

"I'd say that the grounds keepers are going to be quite angry with the gaping hole you blew into the ground, so yes.

"No! I mean did I at least hurt you?" I looked at him pleadingly.

"Will you feel better if I tell you that you left a mark?"

I nodded quickly. He stopped walking and let go of my arm for a moment so as to hold up his hand. The middle of his glove had been burnt away, and a fresh shiny burn lay in the centre of his palm. I grinned, pleased with myself, before holding up my own charred hand to show the damage he did, so his feelings didn't get hurt.

He nodded at his handiwork before seizing my arm again and helping me back into the village.

* * *

We had managed to navigate the stairs to my apartment as conjoined twins, and Kakashi unlocked my door; I had insisted that he look after the key until we got there. I immediately sagged onto the couch and started to curl up into a ball, ready to sleep. Something prodded me in the ribs.

I wriggled away; I was painfully ticklish there, and I didn't appreciate anyone prodding me there.

It happened again. I growled at whatever was doing it and tried to move away further.

"Mai. Get up."

I cracked open an eye, and glared at Kakashi, who was leaning over me.

"No. Bugger off."

"You need to eat something before you fall asleep."

He was right, and I was starving, but now extremely upset about having to eat. I let out a groan which steadily turned into a yell, before I pushed myself into a sitting position. Kakashi sighed, and saw that I was going to be of utterly no help, so wandered back to the kitchen. A banana was swiftly hurtled in my direction, and I caught it and devoured it happily. He looked at the clock before searching through the rest of the shopping, and shot an annoyed look at me. Ah, he had obviously discovered the lack of 'real' food.

"Mai, you're not 12 years old any more. Ice-cream is not a suitable meal for breakfast, and you can't have cereal at dinner."

"I bet I can."

I huffed, mad that he was keeping me awake just to tell me off. He was looking at the clock an awful lot too. He rummaged through the last bag, and finally found a pack on instant ramen. He sighed to himself, before boiling the jug and leaning against the bench. I finished the fruit and lobbed the peel into the bin, cheering inwardly when I got it in. He was looking at the clock again.

"Go, Kakashi. I can handle this. You clearly have somewhere you need to be."

He raised his eyebrows at me.

"That's about the tenth time you've looked at the clock in the last five minutes. Where do you have to be?"

The jug clicked, and Kakashi grabbed it, poured the boiling water into the ramen and then set it before me on the coffee table.

"I have a… somewhere I need to go is all." He was being weird, not looking me in the eye. He was probably going to do something perverted.

"Eat." He ordered, when I didn't pick up the food. I obeyed.

"Look, my team are going to be away for the next exam, so if you need anything I'll be around."

"K, thanks Kakashi. Feel free to swing by whenever and I'll take a look at your hand. I'll try to heal mine tomorrow, and if I still have the majority of my fingers afterwards, you are quite welcome to my free medical assistance."

I could see the hint of a smile underneath the cloth that covered his face, but it disappeared quickly. He headed towards the door, pausing before he left.

"Okay Mai. Remember; don't take the key off."

I tugged a little at the chain around my neck to show it was still on, and waved as he shut the door behind him.

I managed to finish the ramen while watching the sun set over Konoha. I nestled amongst the couch pillows, and discovered a throw rug over the arm, which I pulled over myself. I reflected for a bit about the day, it had certainly been a long one, but also pretty great. My thoughts slid into dreams, and then I passed out on the sofa.

**Yarg, can barely keep my eyes open, am so tired. So there is was, I'm a bit mad at myself for allowing so much to happen in one day, I think from now on there will be a few "I had been in Konoha for a week now" and "3 days later I …" just to speed up time. Don't hate me for the white chakra thing, I know it might sound like she has a jinchuriki or what ever you call it, but its not that. I am trying not to ruin Naruto any more that I already have. It will be explained in due time. Sorry for the lameness of the names of the attacks, it has been an extremely long day and I couldn't be arsed with anything very clever. Thanks so much for the reviews, I danced around in my room when I saw the responses to the last chapter. Cheeeeeers :P.**


	6. Chapter 6

The next day Kakashi was rudely awakened by a frantic knocking on his door. He half expected it to be Mai, hysterical from locking herself out of her own apartment again. A look at the clock showed him it was only 7am, and he mentally cursed Maia for her shoddy timing.

However, it was Asuma and Gai that burst through the door when Kakashi answered it. The Copy-Nin rolled his eyes and slumped back on the bed; he should have known better. Gai was in his face in a second.

"So how was your night?" He started looking around the apartment excitedly, expecting to find evidence of the outcome of the date. Asuma was in the kitchen, setting the kettle to boil and fishing around for instant coffee.

"Do you not have a life? Why aren't you at your place, shooing your latest victim out the door?" Kakashi rubbed his eyes tiredly, he really didn't want to talk about his date – it had gone far from well.

The woman, Miki, was a civilian in the village who worked as a receptionist at the hospital. She had been the one to ask him out; her strong personality caught him off guard and he had agreed. She volunteered to meet at his apartment after work, and she had been waiting for half an hour before he arrived. She had been glaring at the wall opposite his door, a glare that quickly turned into a smile when he rounded the corner, her blue eyes twinkling at him. When he got closer however, the smile faltered slightly. He realised that he was still covered in sweat and dirt from the training session with Mai, and had to excuse himself for a quick shower.

She seemed happy enough to poke around his apartment while he was in the bathroom, but he washed up quickly. The last date had taken the photo of him as a 12 year old with his team, to prove to her friends that she had gotten as far as his apartment. He managed to get it back, though needless to say they did not go out again.

When he emerged clean and dressed, she had looked at him like something to devour, and he immediately began to wish he had just let Mai blow him up. Konoha women could be somewhat fanatical. Things started to look up when they reached the restaurant, Miki had seemed less annoyed, and was making a great show over being the one on his arm for the night, causing quite a few annoyed looks from other women. Kakashi however, succeeded in ruining her good mood when he called her Mai. Even he knew his excuse the names 'both started with M' and he got confused was weak. After demanding to know who his 'other woman' was, and then guessing it was the 'new girl', Miki spotted an ex at the bar. The evening ended with Miki on the other guys arm, and Kakashi walking home breathing a great sigh of relief.

Gai was still in Kakashi's face, waiting for an answer. Asuma saved him the trouble of one by interrupting.

"I heard it was a total bust."

"How do you know?" Gai rounded on Asuma. He shrugged.

"Kurenai told me. Apparently Casanova here'- he nodded in Kakashi's direction – 'turned up late and then called her by the wrong name."

Gai winced and looked back a Kakashi, who was pinching the bridge of his nose, eyes shut tight. When the others said nothing, Kakashi finally mumbled: "it had been a very long day."

When he opened his eyes again, Gai was back in his face and Asuma was sitting on the end of his bed; both were grinning manically.

"Yeah,' said Asuma, feeling around his vest for a smoke, 'I heard you two had quite the explosive reunion." When Kakashi gave him a confused look Asuma elaborated.

"The grounds keepers are out for blood over that crater in the training area." Gai's grin became quickly sly.

"I suppose all that sexual tension needed some sort of outlet-."

Kakashi pushed himself of the bed and towards the neglected kettle.

"Gai, you are so full of shit."

He could here the two of them chuckling behind his back. It was really too early to be dealing with these guys.

"That may be so,' continued Gai, ignoring Kakashi, who banged his forehead frustratedly against the cupboards when he started talking again. "But I am right."

Kakashi turned around, disbelief written across his face.

"Are you kidding? She tried to blow me up!"

"Aw, but that's her way of saying she likes you!"

Kakashi let out a short laugh, before shaking his head and turning back to make himself a coffee.

"Go and get a girlfriend Gai, this is pathetic."

Asuma had been quiet for sometime, but took the opportunity to pipe up now.

"Besides Gai, you're wrong about her."

Kakashi looked up, surprised that Asuma wasn't taking the opportunity to antagonise him further, and turned around suspiciously. Asuma continued disinterestedly.

"Yeah, one of the ANBU guys asked her out yesterday when she was shopping with Kurenai and she agreed."

"Who?" Gai was outraged.

"Some guy called Adam, I don't think he's been in for long, but yeah apparently Mai was quite taken with him."

Kakashi was careful not to display any emotion, though he couldn't ignore the slight flicker of annoyance at the mention of another guy. He barely noticed Asuma getting up off the bed.

"Well, she's off the market now I guess. Don't worry Kakashi, we were never serious about you two,' Asuma paused to laugh, 'I mean, you're probably too old for her anyway. I guess we'll let you get some sleep, you look haggard."

Kakashi had to stop himself from pulling a face at the two, his annoyance growing. Gai had started spluttering, but a look from Asuma shut him up smartly.

"We'll see you later Kakashi."

And with that Asuma dragged Gai back out the door, closing it behind him, leaving Kakashi daydreaming in the Kitchen.

* * *

"What the hell are you doing?" Gai muttered angrily once they were out of earshot of the apartment. Asuma grinned to himself, proud of his deviance.

"Look. He was never going to make a move on her before. But now that that Adam guy has come along and made a claim, I'm betting that Kakashi's defensive side is going to come out. I mean, he's known her since she was five years old, he won't leave her alone with some random guy."

Gai scrunched up his face, considering what Asuma had said.

"I guess…but what if he doesn't actually care?"

Asuma laughed.

"You saw how agitated the guy got when we were talking about their sparring practise. It takes a lot to get under his skin, but look how easy it was for us when Maia's involved."

Gai started smiling too.

"Huh…I guess we'll see."

Asuma became solemn again.

"But seriously Gai, we need to do something about your single status, it is getting a little sad."

They continued down the stairs bickering, until they disappeared round the side of the building and into the busy Konoha streets.

* * *

I woke up quite unpleasantly when my face met the cold wooden floor of the living room. I had taken to sleeping on the couch at nights, as the view from the giant window was absolutely hypnotising. However, the couch was still fairly narrow and did not provide a great place to fall asleep; I had a tendency to roll off it mid-dream. Groaning, I picked myself up off the floor for the third time tonight, and decided to give up on sleep. A bleary glance at the clock told me it was 4am. Many a Ninja would strangle me for passing up sleep like this; I had no where to be and nothing urgent to attend to. I should do as the other Nin do when they're on leave – sleep till 2 in the afternoon and crash again at midnight. Unfortunately, my body had other plans and refused to settle into a normal sleeping pattern. My joints cracked as I straightened, and I took the opportunity to do a few stretches, popping everything back into place. The sun was barely rising over Konoha, but the village was still cast in an odd pink light.

I shuffled over to the jug, setting it to boil. I fished around in the cupboards for a bit, before confirming that, no, I had absolutely no food. I yanked open the fridge and found only a quart of milk and a half eaten apple. The ice-cream was long gone, Kurenai had taken me up on my offer the other night, and we made our way through the entire thing, moaning about everything from Men and love to finding a decent kunai set in the village.

I hadn't seen Kakashi at all, though I guessed that he would be busy with the second Chunin exam or whatever. In the time that had passed, I had adjusted pretty well. I put myself back on the active duty roster for missions; though I was still hesitant to join ANBU, and was avoiding Ibiki at all costs. I hadn't heard from Andrew either. Or was it Aaron. Alex. Well, whoever it was that asked me out in the grocery store hadn't called, and I really wasn't that torn up about it.

I found a lone teabag, and made myself a cup. Upon further inspection, I found that the milk smelled weird, and chose to do without. I walked back over to the window, and watched the sunrise. It lit up a grassy area in the distance; where the memorial of Konoha's dead stood. I had been dreading the visit, after-all, despite being innocent, I was still considered partially responsible for the Uchiha massacre – what right did I have to go? But…it was early; few would be up at this time. I fingered the chain around my neck, and key jingling quietly. Still holding my tea, I jumped out the window and headed straight for the memorial.

I arrived fairly quickly, there were less ninja to dodge and I was free to go as fast as I liked. My stomach lurched. Obito's name was engraved in that stone, it would be like meeting another old friend. Even though he had died when I was only 7, he had been kind to me, where Kakashi didn't start to tolerate me until after Obito's death. I remembered little about him, only that he had played ninja with me and the other kids, and didn't treat us as annoyances. Still, when you're that young, 13 year olds seem so old and cool, and Obito had gained a bit of a hero status. Kakashi was just a jerk.

To get to the memorial, you had you take a track that disappeared into the trees. It was cool under the leafy canopy, and pink light filtered through the leaves. I took another sip of my tea, which was now cold. Ah well, it was the only breakfast available for the moment; I would have to stop off at the store when I was done here.

The track curved gently, and more and more of the clearing came into view. I was busy swirling the last of the tea in the bottom of the mug, and didn't look up until I was half way to the memorial stone.

A dark shape edged my vision, and I looked up quickly. There was nothing there. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled, and I hesitated to take another step. Something wasn't right here. I knew Kakashi visited here often, though the presence I felt was sinister; it could only be foe. I pretended to take a long drink from my cup, while I concentrated on chakra levels around me. Whoever was here had left, and I was alone again. I took one last look at the stone, which was still a good 30 meters away, and decided that the visit could wait for another day, for it no longer felt right.

Staying on guard, I walked back slowly to the village, though I didn't feel the presence again.

* * *

I arrived back at my apartment at about 5:30, and now actually felt ready for sleep. This time I decided that I would sleep in the bed, which was still yet to be used. I barely had time to register how wonderfully soft it was, before passing out on the pillow.

Someone was knocking at the door. What the hell was wrong with people? Who could possibly be demanding an audience with me at this hour? I looked at the digital clock on my nightstand and saw that it was now one in the afternoon.

Oh.

I rolled out of bed, and staggered towards the door, flinging it open. Kakashi was leaning against the door frame. It suddenly occurred to me that I still had my hair in a topknot, and was dressed in baggy black pants and a black t-shirt. And I hadn't brushed my teeth yet. I stood there, deliberating if I just shut the door on him and pretend he was there, or be a total girl about the situation and scream.

"Er…bad time?"

He tilted his head, looking me over in all my grubby glory. I hesitated, before –

"Um. No. Just fell asleep. Y'wanna come in?"

He stepped over the threshold, and I scampered back to get out of his way. Maia. Go and shower, you are a mess.

I cleared my throat.

"Uh, just sit. And, uh, I'm just going to…I'd invite you to help yourself to the fridge but there's no food…"

He leaned against the counter and watched me fidget my way through the sentence.

"I figured that'd be the case. I saw that you're back on the roster for missions, and if you're going to be on active duty, you need to eat properly. I'm supervising your shopping."

I scrunched up my nose at him, indignant.

"I can do my own sho-,"

"Mai, ice-cream isn't in the food groups. Go and get dressed."

I tried to think of something clever to say, but I was still waking up. I settled for stomping off to my bedroom and into the ensuite bathroom. I jumped in the shower and gave my hair a quick wash, before dressing in black leggings and a fitted black singlet. Shoes were also on the agenda today, and I slipped on some black ballet flats. I rubbed a towel through my hair to get out the worst of the wet, before running back out into the living room. Kakashi was reading his pervert book by the door.

"Okay I'm ready; let's get this over with then." I started to head towards the window. Kakashi cleared his throat.

"You've lost your key haven't you?"

I stuck my chin out at him and tugged at the chain that I still hadn't taken off, one leg out the window.

"It's only when I need a key that I lose them. So I figure, if I don't need one, I won't lose it. Get it?"

He shook his head at me, clearly not understanding my brilliant logic. Even so he followed me out the window and into the street.

"So, I haven't seen you in a while. What have you been up to, aside from the disaster of a date you didn't tell me about?"

He looked surprised for a moment, before his eyebrows narrowed, and at the same time we said: "Kurenai."

He was silent, and I thought he would ignore me as usual.

"Okay, so the date didn't go so well. But just so you know, don't go to the hospital while a receptionist called Miki is working."

"Why?"

"She's out for blood."

I stood in front of him, hands on hips.

"Kakashi Hatake. What did you do? You turned another villager against me; didn't you?"

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Well she got mad when I wouldn't hold her hand, as the damaged you did caused it to be so painful. So I told her what happened, and who you were, and now she… doesn't like you."

I wasn't sure if that was a lie or not, he face was completely devoid of emotion. I tried to stare him down, but he was admiring a bird in the distance.

"You should have just bloody well let me heal it!"

I held up my perfect hand, devoid of scars and burns.

"Yes, but I didn't want to risk you finishing the job and making my arm explode."

I tried to whack him, but he dodged, grinned stupidly at me.

"Shut up! I'm good at what I do! You're just mad because you're going to have a mangled hand forever."

"Don't flatter yourself. All you left was a minor case of heat rash."

I was ready to pull my hair out. I'd forgotten how angry he could make me, even if we were friends. I marched off, mumbling furiously to myself. I could hear him laughing quietly behind me. I wasn't looking where I was going, and I suddenly bumped into someone.

"Oh sorry –hey! Andrew!"

The guy from the store had caught me around the waist, and was smiling down at me.

"Adam." He corrected with a laugh and set me upright. I glanced behind me, and saw that Kakashi had stopped laughing, and was looking between to two of us.

"Oh, Hatake Kakashi, Adam, Adam, Hatake Kakashi." I made a quick introduction before turning back to Adam with a smile. He was looking curiously at Kakashi, but I supposed it was because he recognised him from his own days in ANBU. He lost interest fairly quickly and turned his attention back to me, his hands were still on my waist.

"Listen Mai, I'm sorry I haven't called. I washed your number off before I could write it down. Could I…have it again?" He looked very sheepish.

"Nope."

"Oh…"

"I don't know what it is yet."

"Oh!"

He was smiling again, seeming to find my forgetfulness amusing. I could practically hear Kakashi rolling his eyes behind me.

"Well then,' said Adam, 'Can I take you out for dinner tonight then? And you can find out your number in the meantime."

I grinned, that sounded like a nice way to end the day. We made arrangements to meet up at eight that night at a restaurant not far from where I lived, before I excused myself to continue shopping.

"Ok then, I'll see you tonight!"

He gave me one more smile and a stiff nod in Kakashi's direction before leaping up onto one of the surrounding rooftops and racing off. I did a little dance on the spot, turning around to face Kakashi. Grinning I danced around him singing: "I'm not useless, coz I have a date!" over and over. He began walking again, saying nothing. I popped up next to his ear.

"And I can hold his hand because you didn't do enough damage for it to require proper healing." He turned sharply towards me.

"What?"

"I'm not useless coz I have a date" I sang back.

Needles to say – shopping became a lot more enjoyable.

* * *

I walked back to the apartment alone, having dismissed Kakashi so as to start getting ready. I chucked the bags of vegetables and fruit on the bench and rushed into the bedroom. I didn't have a lot in the way of clothes, but it was too late to go shopping now. I sorted through the pile on the floor, but there was nothing. The restaurant was quite high end, so I had to find something that suited…and I had zilch. Everything I owned was bought based on how quickly I could run away in it – not great date attire.

Then I had a moment of inspiration. I fished out my dark red sarong that I had worn in the Village in the Clouds. I folded it over, before holding it behind me and bringing the corners in front of my body, crossing them, and then tying them behind my neck. Voila, a dress. A very, very short dress mind, but I doubted I be running around tonight. I paired it with my gold bracelets, and the entirely random, impulsively bought, gold high-heels. They had been used for a mission a year or so ago, and were very uncomfortable, but hey, beauty is pain. I washed my hair and dried it so that its natural waves were more apparent. I would have done more, but time was against me, so I left it down, put on mascara and a tiny bit of lipstick and ran (or tottered) out the door. These were not shoes for running on rooftops.

* * *

I giggled again, taking another sip of wine. Adam was holding my hand across the table, telling me about his exam to become a Chunin. It turned out that he had had to take the exam twice when he ate the wrong sort of mushrooms in the Forest of Death, attacked his team and then hallucinated his way through the rest of the week.

"A 12 year old on drugs – not a good look." He laughed, playing with my fingers. "How about you, what was yours like?"

I put down my fork, and thought for a moment.

"I was 10. I made it to the third round, and I had to fight Uchiha Itachi-," Adam winced at me.

"Hey just wait, it has a happy ending! Anyway, that genjutsu is something terrible, he tortured me with it and sapped my strength. The Jounin supervising had to step in when it went too far. Anyway, I collapsed once released, and they thought I was finished. I ended up losing total control and tried to kill him, the proctors and blow up the stadium. Kakashi was one of the ones that had to stop me. I was just so angry about the things Uchiha had made me see under his spell, I was out for blood. That's the first time I ever used white chakra and from then on I was known as -,"

"The White-Nin."

I smiled and nodded at him, but inside I was trying to block out what I had seen under the genjutsu, it still haunted me, the deaths of my parents, Obito, and then watching Kakashi and the fourth slaughtered before me…Itachi had been furious with himself when I reminded him of it years later.

Adam was talking again, and I forced myself out of my reverie and back to real life. I smiled and nodded in the right places, but really, the night was ruined by the memories.

After Adam paid for dinner, he suggested that he give me a grand tour of the area, seeing as how huge Konoha was and how little I had been able to see in the last week. He was pointing out the different buildings to me, and holding my hand. I grinned inwardly. Shame on you Kakashi. Then I shook myself, I was thinking about the guy way to much on this date.

"That's my apartment building there." Adam pointed up to a very flash building, and I noised my approval. I wondered if he was going to try to invite me up, but he kept walking, to my relief.

"I'm on the top floor, there's the most amazing view of Konoha-,"

"Oh me too, it's beautiful at sunrise."

We kept on walking for a bit until we passed a small clock tower. It was quarter to midnight.

"Oh my god, it's so late. I'm sorry, but I have to go."

Adam nodded and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

"Do you want me to walk you home?"

"Nah, I'm brave. Besides, yours is nearby."

"You're sure?"

"Yes."

His hands settled on my waist, pulling me close to him. I rested my hands on his chest, looking up into his eyes. He bent down slowly and took my lips with his. The kiss was initially soft, careful and practised, but it quickly turned passionate. The wine was going to my head, and I found myself kissing in a way I certainly didn't kiss on a first date. He bit my bottom lip, causing me to gasp, before he stuck his tongue in my mouth. It was kind of…weird; he just kind of thrashed it around in there. I was horrified when I had to suppress a giggle, though he took it as a sign of eagerness. His hands pressed into my back, before travelling up into my hair. I was preparing to move away, thinking about the best way to do so without getting my face licked rather than the kiss, when he pulled my hair.

"Sorry" he murmured against my mouth before going in for the kill again. I took the opportunity to push him gently on the chest. I smiled at him, gave him another quick peck on the lips and said goodnight. I turned a walked away, wiping my mouth slightly as I did so. God when I told Kurenai about this…I stifled another laugh and headed home.

* * *

Adam watched her walk away, admiring her round backside as it swayed with her walk. She wouldn't be getting far, he grinned to himself, looking at the chain and key that now lay in his hand. He'd give her about an hour before she turned up on his doorstep, desperate for a place to stay. He gave her one last look over, before turning towards his apartment and going inside.

* * *

"Oh Shit. Oh Shit, oh shit, oh shit."

I was standing outside the locked doors of my apartment block; hand groping my neck frantically for the chain I knew wasn't there. The land lady was gone for the night, and I had locked all the windows before I left. There was no way in. some passers-by wolf-whistled at my bare legs, as I deliberated what to do. I had no weapons, no key and very stupid shoes. Those were the first things I took off. I tried to remember the addresses I had written on my mirror; would Kakashi be mad if I turned up on his doorstep at this hour? I bit my lip. No there was nothing for it, I had to get out of this area and find somewhere safe to stay, and Kakashi was closest.

It was cold now, and my makeshift dress did nothing against it. I wrapped my arms around me and walked quickly down the street; Kakashi's place was a good 20 minutes walk away. I was still a bit tipsy from dinner, and could trust myself to run on the roof tops.

Despite being near the centre of town, the streets were oddly empty, though it was a weeknight. The places that would normally be lit up were dark, and the streets were settled in gloom. I became aware of every nose around me, and though I was extremely confidant in my abilities, I knew there were others that were almost as good as me, and I wouldn't be able to fend off a group attack. Perhaps it was just a result of years of running from enemy ninja, but I was totally on edge. The memory of my visit to the memorial floated back to me, and creeped me out further. Surely I hadn't just been imagining things from lack of sleep? I walked down another street that had a few lights on, but still no people. The sky was black tonight, no stars to light the way.

This was stupid. I was acting like a scared little girl. I straightened up and tried to walk tall, but instinct took over immediately and I hunched back down. I wasn't far from Kakashi's now, but I still was not at ease.

Then I realised that I was ignoring my instincts. If I was feeling nervous, then there must be a reason; I did not run from phantoms. I concentrated on nearby chakra signals, but well trained ninja were experts at covering them. I couldn't find any nearby, and seeing as the tension didn't ease up, I figured that indeed, someone strong was lurking in the shadows. The hair on my neck prickled, and I knew I was being watched. I stopped and concentrated. It was too dark to see anything, and a surprise attack was imminent. I shut my eyes and started to call upon the white chakra, so I could be my own guiding light and rid the streets of shadows. I felt warmth flood through me, and power surging at my fingertips. I opened my eyes again, and the knot in my stomach disappeared. The street was lit from my white glow, and there was no one around. I kept walking, staying alert, though I felt calmer now; my heart was beating fast with a certain feeling of relief.

I could see Kakashi's building at the end of the road now, and I couldn't help it. I sprinted the stretch, anyone watching would have seen nothing more than a white streak in the dark.

Thankfully his building didn't shut until 12:30, and I was just on time. I released the chakra and turned back to normal before the land lord had a heart attack and raced up the stairs. His block was larger than mine, and he was on the fourth floor. There were a fair few people milling around the halls, though they seemed a little surprised to see the wild girl with no shoes wandering around.

Kakashi's corridor was deserted, and it suddenly occurred to me that he mightn't be home, or at least, he would be asleep and lock me out for waking him up.

I knocked quietly on his door, and then leaned on the door frame, shutting my tired eyes for a moment. I couldn't hear any noise for the apartment, so I knocked harder. He must be asleep; oh he was going to be mad with me…

Still nothing.

I was preparing to punch the door, when it suddenly swung open. I stumbled slightly, before looking up into Kakashi's tired face. He was shirtless, only wearing a pair of low slung sweatpants. He still had on the damn mask. He took one look at me, before saying: "you lost the key didn't you."

I nodded sadly.

"And you want to stay here?"

I nodded again.

"Hmm…I don't know, you might try to kill me again."

I groaned: "it was just heat rash."

I saw the ghost of a smile around his eyes, and he stood back to let me in. I stood there like a zombie, while he disappeared into a room. He came back out with a sweatpants and a dark t shirt for me to change into, and I murmured my thanks. I dropped my shoes on the floor and wandered into the bath room, dropping my jewellery and dress to the ground and changing into the far more comfortable ensemble provided by Kakashi. When I came out, he was still standing there, yawning.

He turned back into the room he had come out of, and I followed, suddenly too tired to think for myself. He was climbing back into his bed, and reached over to pull back the blankets on the other side for me. I collapsed onto the mattress, nearly crying with joy at how warm and soft it was. The last thing I remembered before falling asleep was poking him in the ribs and mumbling "a gentleman would have offered to sleep on the couch."

"I'm not a gentleman."

"Hmm." Was all I could muster, before falling asleep smiling slightly.

**Hey sorry if there are mistakes, it is very late and wanted to post this now rather than wait till morning. Please review and stuff, they make my day : )**


	7. Chapter 7

I vaguely registered that I was cold, and curled myself further into his side, flinging an arm out over his stomach. My head was resting on his shoulder; he mumbled something in my ear, but I was still too tired to process the words. I ran my hand lazily up and down his bare stomach, my fingers running across his abs. He mumbled something again, and I groaned, mad that he was waking me up. An arm wrapped around my waist tightly, pulling me closer, and it suddenly dawned on me that I wasn't dreaming.

He.

Lost key. Night time walk. Bed. He.

My eyes shot open and my memory flooded back to me. I shrieked and wrenched away from Kakashi, nearly toppling backwards of the bed. He lay there, blinking up at me blearily. I could feel my face heat up as I stared at him.

"What were you doing?" I half yelled at him, trying to ignore the knot in my stomach.

"What were _you_ doing?" He asked slowly. I covered my mouth with my hand, still in shock at my actions. I was a sleep-pervert; I'd tried to feel up Kakashi. I whipped my hand away from my mouth, realising it was the one I'd been groping him with. My face got a few degrees hotter. I was still speechless, but now that I actually looked at Kakashi, I was struck dumb. He had kicked the sheets off in the night, and his naked torso was bared to the world. Lean muscle moved beneath his pale skin as he sat up to face me. His shoulders were strong and broad and his arms were toned. He was leaning towards me, and I found that I was frozen, unsure of what to do. Was he going to kiss me? What would I do if he did?

His hand came to rest on my forehead, he was checking my temperature.

"You're very flushed, you're not sick are you?"

One look at his half covered face confirmed that he wasn't actually worried. He was smirking at me, clearly knowing the real reason I was blushing so hard. I slapped his hand away grumpily.

"Shut up. I forgot you were there is all."

"Clearly."

He turned away and climbed out of the bed, pausing with his back to me to stretch. Warmth curled around my abdomen, and I had to tear my eyes away from him or risk burning to death. I pushed myself off the bed and left the bedroom to let him get dressed.

The bastard had the nerve to chuckle as I all but fled from the room. I peered that the clock in the living area, and saw that it was ten in the morning. My land lady would be in by now and I could plead for a key. My clothes were still on the floor in the bathroom, and I stumbled in to find them. I locked the door behind me and tried to clean myself up a bit. I stepped out of the loaned trousers, and found that the shirt actually came down to mid thigh on me. I splashed cold water onto my face and checked my reflection. My cheeks were still a bit pink, and my hair was absolutely wild. Running my fingers through the knotty mess a few times did little to fix it, so I diverted my attention to getting dressed. When I picked up my dress from the night before, I found that while I tried to cool myself, I had splashed water all over the floor, and the material was soaked.

Bugger it; I'd have to ask Kakashi if I could borrow more clothes. My cheeks flared again at the thought of him; hopefully he'd have put a shirt on by now. There was movement in the living room, and I figured that he was probably waiting for me to get out. After one last attempt at taming my hair, I opened the door and called out to Kakashi.

"Can I borrow some clothes? Mine have-,"

The words died in my throat. Gai, Asuma and Kakashi were standing in the living room, gawking at my half naked form. It seemed as though we stood there for an age, silent and awkward.

"h-hi guys…"

I finally choked out. Asuma and Gai's faces hatched into twin grins, and Kakashi covered his eyes with a hand. Still none of them talked, the intruders seeming to enjoy the situation far too much. I was very aware of how little of me was covered, and tugged nervously at the bottom of the shirt.

"I…I think I'll go drown myself now. Goodbye."

I turned to flee back into the bathroom, but was suddenly pulled back by someone's arm around my shoulders. I heard a joyful yell before I suddenly crashed backwards into Gai's side, and saw he had an arm wrapped around Kakashi too.

"You were right Asuma! Young love, blooming in the face of danger and adversity! I always knew you kids would end up together!" Gai rambled away, dragging us around the room; Asuma watched, amused. Kakashi was trying to interrupt the overexcited ninja; I covered my eyes and pretended that I wasn't there.

"Gai! Stop!" Kakashi finally made himself heard over his friend, and pulled himself free of the grip around his shoulders. Gai faltered and looked at Kakashi, confused. I took the opportunity to move as far away as possible from Gai, and Kakashi too for that matter.

"Nothing happened; Mai needed a place to stay last night. That's it!"

Silence settled around us again, and Gai and Asuma looked to me to confirm what Kakashi had said. I was too mortified to say anything. Gai's shoulders slumped slightly.

"So you're not together?"

"No!" Kakashi was unusually agitated, and I grumpily wondered if it would be so terrible to be with me. Not that I wanted to be with him. The image of him in bed flashed back to me, and my abdomen tightened uncomfortably. I shut my eyes, telling myself to stop acting like horny teenager and get a grip. I had seen shirtless men before; it was totally not a big deal. Another part of my brain reminded me that I hadn't woken up beside all of those men.

Gai looked like a kicked puppy as he muttered his apologies; I guess he genuinely had high hopes for us. Asuma even looked embarrassed, though Kakashi had managed to regain his composure.

"I suppose we had better leave you guys to it then…" Asuma started backing towards the door, unable to meet my eye. Gai followed dejectedly, turning back when he reached the doorway.

"Sorry Mai, I didn't mean any harm. This youthful spirit can be both blessing and burden."

Asuma's hand appeared, seized Gai by the collar and dragged him away. Kakashi shut the door behind them, and then leaned back against it, looking anywhere but at me.

"Sorry, they just barged in, and you came out before I could warn you."

I nodded, fidgeting with the hem of my shirt.

"Do they normally drop by like that?"

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Only when they want information."

"Oh? What'd they want to know?"

He looked uncomfortable again, and I knew the answer was not going to be good.

"I have…a date tonight is all. They just wanted-,"

"-Details,' I laughed, trying to lighten the mood, though I couldn't ignore the disappointment I felt.

"You guys are worse gossips than old women."

I attempted a smile, which he didn't return. At least now he was looking at me. Well, I suppose studying me intensely was a better name for it.

"It's insane right?" he asked.

"Well, I certainly wouldn't date someone who suffered from halitosis and disfiguring acne, but if that's your date's thing then-,"

"No,' he interrupted, raising an eyebrow, 'this obsession they have with us."

"Oh yeah. Totally. Crazy."

I broke eye contact first, and felt inexplicably mad with myself for answering that way. Would it be that weird for us to be together? After all, we were friends, why would it have to be such a huge deal. Well, Kakashi obviously thought it was, the way he reacted to Gai's accusation. We were quiet again, but I could feel his stare and my cheeks started to burn. God what was wrong with me? I cleared my throat and straightened up.

"Um, anyway, I should probably go. Do you mind if I borrow something to wear? My stuff is ruined…"

"Yeah, fine…"

He pushed off the door quickly and disappeared into the bedroom to find clothes. I retrieved my soaking dress and my shoes and put the pile next to the door. Kakashi came back out with a white t shirt and typical ninja sweat pants, wincing slightly.

"Sorry, this is probably the most feminine thing I own…"

I laughed, but it sounded strained. Why was it so awkward? There had been teasing in the old days about our relationship, but it was forgotten instantly. But now…

I gratefully accepted and quickly changed in the bathroom. I was too short for the pants, and rolled them up around my calves. I tied the t shirt at the back, and let the neck fall off one shoulder. It looked like I was going to walk home bare foot, which wasn't a big deal. I wandered back out with the clothes I'd slept in, in my arms.

"…I'll take these home and wash them."

He shook his head at me, and took them away.

"Are you okay?"

I looked at him, confused.

"Yes, why?"

"You're being polite. You do it when you're uncomfortable."

I was surprised at this revelation, I had never realised that I acted that way. I shrugged, sure things were awkward, but I'd die before I admitted how much effect Gai's words really had.

"No I'm fine. Just tired."

I opened the door, turning back before I left.

"Thanks for letting me stay. Good luck with your date tonight; and say the right name this time."

I could see he was smiling slightly, watching me carefully.

"Oh, and you're more of a gentleman that you give yourself credit for."

I smiled at him, before shutting the door and running away down the hall.

* * *

Later that day I lay sprawled out on my bed, gazing at the clouds through the skylight in my room. I couldn't stop thinking about that morning. Sure I had started to come on to Kakashi, but he had also been the one to pull me close – that must mean _something_. Though then again, he was the one that said that us being together was insane. I thought back to the way Gai had behaved. I had been teased as a kid because of my friendship with Kakashi, but I had always brushed it off. It had been crazy to think of him like that back then, when I was fourteen, he was twenty, and the age difference made it stupid to even give a relationship a second's thought. But it was different now.

It was different because now I was nearly 20 and he was 26; a relationship was a possibility. I groaned and buried my face in my pillows. It wasn't a possibility in real life. He was a top ninja in the village, renowned throughout the world. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if he were considered for Hokage one day. Despite how ridiculous he was, I couldn't ignore the fact that he was far superior to me; the silly girl that glowed when she got mad.

He would be matched up with some woman of status, a princess or the daughter of some wealthy, respectable businessman. I was just a stray that his teacher found on the street, my clan was dead, I was wanted in several countries and I had nothing to offer him. The only thing I had going for me was my blood-line trait, but that had to remain undisclosed information, or I'd get killed by enemy nations for the secret to…

That wasn't important now. The clouds drifted by lazily, and I stopped thinking long enough to look for shapes in them.

Oh my god, I have a crush on Kakashi.

It was like a kick in the gut. When did that happen? I'd barely been back a week, and I was already foolishly infatuated with a complete idiot. No, I couldn't have a crush. I mean he was okay looking and all, but to admit that only put me on the same level of half the women in Konoha. No, I was just admiring someone who was good-looking; it'd be stupid to deny it. Just a friendly acknowledgment.

A friendly acknowledgment that had me reminding myself to breathe this morning, when he was stretching.

I groaned and punched one of my pillows. I could pretend all I liked, but I could not lie to myself. When he said he had a date…god that was awful. It was a simple hint on his behalf 'by the way Mai, you're nice and all, but don't get any ideas about us'. The now familiar feeling of disappointment settled in my stomach again. Nothing could ever happen between us, that was all there was to it. However, I did know someone who was actually interested in me, and he was fun and good looking. And he wasn't a jerk like Kakashi either. I rolled over and reached for the phone by my bed and dialled Adam's number.

* * *

"Yeah you had me a little worried actually, I called your apartment last night to make sure you got home okay, but when there was no answer…"

"Oh, I lost my key."

I waved my hand in the air, in a 'whoops, typical me' kind of way. Adam had been acting kind of strange since we met up.

"Ha-ha that's no good…So where did you go?"

I caught his hand and started swinging it gently between us as we walked down the street. It was the early evening, and the streets were busy with vendors and stalls.

"I turned up on Kakashi's doorstep at like 1 in the morning and stayed there." And shared the same bed. And realised my lust for him. And tried to hit on him while half asleep.

I didn't think Adam would be extremely pleased about all that, better to just leave it out of the conversation. A glance in his direction confirmed that that was a good idea, he didn't look happy.

"Er…you okay?"

His face cleared quickly, and he looked at me, smiling.

"Yeah! I just didn't know you guys were that close."

"We're just friends."

He nodded, before pulling my hand behind his back and settling his around my waist. We continued down the high street, stopping every so often to look for somewhere we could eat. I could hear someone calling my name, and upon further inspection, saw Gai waving from one of the restaurants that had outdoor seating. His date looked less than impressed with him, her chin was resting in her palm, and she kept shooting dark looks his way. I wondered if he had told her that she lacked a youthful spirit. I waved back, but didn't stop. Adam didn't need to know how he found me this morning. I saw Gai look back it his meal, soup, and wink and grin at his reflection; his date rolled her eyes.

I started to laugh, and noticed Adam was looking at Gai, alarmed.

"What's wrong with him?"

Still chuckling, I pulled him further into the crowd.

"Oh nothing, he's just a little over eager is all."

We wandered down further, until I spotted a stand selling ice-cream. I dragged Adam over excitedly. He bought us both a cone, and left me to pay.

That same feeling on being watched came over me again, and I looked up. There was a man standing a few meters away with an ANBU mask over his face. I could feel his stare, even though his face was hidden, and he didn't acknowledge that I had spotted him. Hell he wasn't even trying to hide. None of the people milling around looked at him, they didn't even seem to notice that he was there.

"What are you looking at?"

Adams voice was near my ear, and I jumped, sending my shoulder into one of the ice-creams he was holding.

"That guy…"

I turned back to where the man had been, but he was gone. I frowned, looking around, but he was nowhere to be seen. Adam was wiping my shoulder with a napkin, clearly thinking I was imagining things. He handed me my ice-cream and took my hand, leading me back down the street.

I kept looking back over my shoulder, but I found that there were several ANBU officers out tonight, both with and without their faces covered. The man who had been looking at me was not doing so out of polite interest, I was well-travelled enough to know the difference between mild interest and concentration without having to look at a face, that that guy was serious. I kept expecting to get a kunai in the back, though I kept telling myself that the ANBU had been told about my arrival, and that I was under the Hokage's protection; none should try to attack me. When Adam wasn't looking I tossed out the ice-cream and kept my hand close to my kunai holder on my leg. It was impossible to focus in the crowd, and while in some ways it provided cover, it also meant there was nowhere to run should I be attacked. I wasn't looked where I was going, and walked smack into someone.

"Jesus! I have GOT to stop doing that." I muttered angrily to myself.

"I agree with you on that one."

I looked up, and Kakashi was staring back down at me.

"Oh, hello."

I couldn't think of what to say, though thankfully our staring competition was interrupted when the woman on Kakashi's left cleared her throat. She was looking at me suspiciously, and I noticed her hold on Kakashi's arm tighten drastically. Likewise, Adams arm moved up to my shoulders, pulling me in tight.

"Maia, this is Yuki, Yuki, Mai."

She nodded slightly in my direction; her eyes narrowed slightly. I'd forgotten how paranoid the Kakashi Fan Club women were; I bet she would try to pull out my hair if I so much as smiled at him. She wasn't a ninja, so I wasn't allowed to hurt her, even though the sight of her made me agitated.

Adam and Kakashi were making small talk as the woman sized me up. I stuck my tongue out at her and then composed myself when I felt Kakashi glance in my direction. He and Adam were discussing his days in the ANBU, which caused me to look over my shoulder again.

I noticed a few people looking at us, none of whom I recognised, but that could have been because of who we were talking to. I scanned the crowd again, and when I turned back to the conversation, I noticed Kakashi looking at me. He flawlessly continued the conversation with Adam, who wasn't looking at Kakashi, and raised his eyebrows slightly. It was like a secret question, '_are you ok?'_

I hesitated for a moment, before giving the tiniest of nods. I was just being paranoid. I tuned back into the conversation just as Adam was saying goodbye. Kakashi waved, and the Yuki lady snarled at me. Good, another hater.

Kakashi didn't look at me; his gazed was fixed just over my head. Seeing him with that awful woman completely killed what was left of my good mood.

When they disappeared into the crowd, I pinched Adam gently to make him stop walking.

"Look, I'm sorry, I'm really tired, I was thinking I'd just go back to my place and catch up on some sleep, if that's ok?"

I wasn't really asking, just pretending to be considerate.

"Oh, ok, you sure?"

"Yeah, no, I don't think I'm going to be much fun."

"Ok, I'll walk you."

He said it in a no nonsense kind of way, though it was kind of a relief not having to walk home alone and nervous. We took a side street out of the busy area and headed back towards my place.

* * *

Gai watched Mai and Adam walk past, ignoring his date entirely. He was watching the crowd. He spotted them before he had spotted Mai; people who did not belong to Konoha. Their ANBU disguises were almost perfect. Almost. He stood up from the table and excused himself. The woman gasped in outrage, but he had already thrown money down and jumped the makeshift barrier separating them from the street. Mai didn't seem to have noticed that she was being followed, though it would be difficult to tell in such a large and busy crowd. He silently counted off the followers, there were at least five in the area. It would have been easy for them to sneak into the village, what with Konoha already full of foreigners for the Chunin Exams.

Asuma and Kakashi were supposed to be in this area tonight, he would have to warn them first if they hadn't already spotted Mai's stalkers.

It didn't take long to find Kakashi; he was being yelled at by an extremely annoyed woman and was drawing quite a crowd.

"I'm sorry, I have to go, I forgot to turn my iron off." Kakashi pushed past the woman, and caught sight of Gai immediately. The woman was still shrieking at him, but the two turned their backs to her, jumped onto a nearby roof and started to run.

"I take it you saw Mai?" Gai asked, leaping over an alleyway to the next building.

"Yes."

"And?"

"Those guys are not ANBU."

Gai smirked and nodded. They remained silent the rest of the way, heading towards Maia's a fast as they could.

* * *

I stopped outside the doors of my building. If Adam was planning on being invited up, he had another thing coming..

"Well, this is me. I call you later, okay?"

He looked slightly put out that I hadn't invited him up for 'coffee', but didn't try anything.

"Okay, sure. I'll see you later then."

He gave me a kiss on the cheek, which was a relief. My face was completely dry and not half sucked off – a very successful date indeed. I left him there and went inside. The land lady wasn't at the front desk, though that wasn't unusual, she tended to sleep off her hangovers during the day. I checked my neck to make sure my new key was still there, and cheered silently when I found that it was. It was getting dark outside, and the hallways were dimly lit. I walked slowly up the flights of stairs, now used to the climb. I day dreamed about…things, and the time went quickly, I was suddenly in front of my door. I unlocked it and scuffed my way inside. Without bothering to turn the lights on, I kicked my shoes of, and threw my bag in the direction of the couch.

Something wasn't right.

I drew my knives as the lights were turned on. The man in the mask stood in my kitchen.

"Who the fuck are you"

I snarled, calling up the white chakra before waiting for an answer. The door was kicked in, and several more men in masks blocked the exit. Another came out of my bedroom. Each of them drew weapons, and the one that turned on the lights lifted his mask.

I recognised him immediately. I knew him only as Norio; he had chased me from village to village, one the people who had attacked me in the street. Leader of the group I was on the run from. They were similar to the Akasuki in that they collected rare jutsu, resulting in the slavery or death of those in possession of it. I happened to be high up on their list. It clicked that it had been Norio who had been following my last night, and probably at the memorial. I stood completely still.

"I wondered when you leeches would show up, do you mind doing this outside, I've only just moved in you see…"

He was in his forties, and his face was heavily scarred. His eyes were mismatched, one light grey, the other white and blind, with a thick knotted scar running down it. I'd done that one. His hair was black and slicked back, giving him the appearance of an evil snake.

"Your time is up Hou-ou."

Chakra was following through me, hot through my veins. The others moved closer, weapons raised and prepared for attack. The tension was at its height, and I'd long decided my plan of action.

"My time is never up."

One of the men suddenly reached out to stab me. I grabbed his wrist, disabled the hand and used his momentum to drive my knife through his heart. The others rushed forward to attack, but I pushed the dead man in their path. One of the quicker ones jumped over the body, he had heavy metal armour around his arm. It charged and contained chakra to his palm which, when activated, would burn a hole right through you. I'd witnessed it. I ducked beneath his jump, activated white chakra entirely and threw myself through the window.

They were quick to follow, and I landed the fall on my hands in a crouch. I shot off down the road, and saw that more men were on the roves, running along side me. They started throwing shuriken, which I blocked, and hurried hand seal to call forth the fire bird. It flew into the air from my mouth and targeted the men behind me. I pushed my speed further, jumping up onto the roof on my left; nothing more than a white flash. I ran the front two ninja through with my knife before the others realised where I was and leapt down in to the street. I created clones quickly, and sent them down to the warriors, to keep them from attacking me when I fought Norio. He was on the roof opposite me, and I charged up further. The fire bird was sweeping through the masses on the ground, keeping the confusion fuelled. Cold deadly metal pushed its way through my shoulder blades, and I realised the replacement jutsu, reappearing a few meters away from Norio, who had snuck up behind me. I ran at him again, throwing a barrage of shuriken and kunai his way, which he dodged quickly, meeting me in hand to hand combat. I ducked and weaved his attacks, drawing blood on a few occasions. He had gotten far, far better since we last fought. Something wrapped around my waist and I was yanked backwards, slamming so hard onto the roof that several tiles shattered. I looked down and saw a chain. I could feel it heat up and start to burn through my clothes. The chains were wrapped around my wrists too, burning slowly. I couldn't see who had caught me, but I could feel my strength start to drain. I gritted my teeth as the chain round my middle finally reached flesh and burned me. The only way to with stand this was to power up further, to absolute full strength, which was the way they needed me to take the jutsu. Norio bent over me, his knee resting on my throat so I couldn't breathe.

"Come on Mai. A bit more and I'll finish it." His knife was poised at my throat. I growled at him, which turned into an all out yell. Power surged down my arms, and I yanked then up, pulling the ninja who was holding the chains into the air. I sent a clone to kick him off the roof, and another to bury her knee into his stomach and pile drive him in the ground far below. My movement had caught Norio off guard, and I followed it through, head-butting him in the chin. His knife planted itself deep in my chest when I did so. He stumbled backwards; long enough for me to frantically pull the burning chain off my stomach. But the damaged was done, I was drained and the sudden surge of power had been taken. I could barely hold on to the white chakra, and had to realise it, it was taking more energy than I could afford to hold on to it.

Norio stood again, triumphantly wielding his knife.

"Time is up" he said once more, baring his yellowed teeth at me. I swayed slightly as I raised my own weapon. Perhaps this time he was right.

**Hey this was going to be longer, but I decided to leave the rest for another day, my boss walked in, and if he saw me writing fan fiction…well…y'know.**

**DCI Keller – I will never get sick of reviews! Thank you for doing so!**

**Everyone should follow DCI and review!**

**Hope you liked : )**


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay, so there will more than likely be some bits that are quite ambiguous in this chapter, namely to do with Maia's mystery Kekki Genkai (if you haven't gotten really bored, gone back over the chapters and worked out what it is to do with) but it will all be revealed in good time. Like, next chapter – maybe this one if I can't bear to keep it to myself (you could look up what a Hou-ou is). Anyway, Merry Christmas and in the spirit of the giving season – gimme a review :D**

I staggered back slightly. My vision was blurring, and it was hard to stay focused on the man in front of me. It only took a moment for my sluggish brain to figure out what had happened; why I was suddenly so weak.

"Feeling tired Hou-ou? Why don't you try that white chakra bit again?" Norio snarled and spat on the tiles at my feet. I took another step back, scowling at him and I tried to summon the chakras again. What would he know about them? I was just too tired to power up was all.

However, the harder I pushed, I realised that there was nothing left to draw on – my chakra had totally disappeared. My shock must have shown on my face, for Norio started to laugh.

"We killed it Hou-ou. You can't call to it anymore, it is dead." He picked up the chains by his feet and wrapped them around his fist as he advanced. I scrambled away, stumbling over the tiles. My clones had disappeared, and the men they hadn't killed were scaling the walls; closing in around Norio and I. Norio was still talking.

"These are special chains, dear Hou-ou, they drain chakra. It seems you weren't at full strength to begin with, and we drained your _special_ supply; the bird is dead. You are not long for this world either, I am afraid."

The chains around his fist started to glow with chakra. I desperately formed hand seals, but nothing was happening. I could not back away any further, Norio's men stood behind me ready to strike should I try to run. Hell, I didn't have the strength for escape any way. He drew back his fist, chakra swirling around it, causing sparks to fly from the chains.

"Do not fear little one, we will only need your head to take your Kekki Genkai. Goodbye, Sumiko Maia!"

The scorching fist came throttling towards me – I shut my eyes tight.

I was knocked backwards, but the screams that filled the air did not belong to me.

My eyes immediately snapped back open, and I was shocked at the site before me. Norio was writhing on the ground, clutching the bloody stump of an arm now destroyed. Kakashi stood with his back to me, bloodied knife held at the ready. Some battle was going on behind me, and I saw Gai, Asuma and another Jonin I had never met, beat back Norio's gang. Not that they had had to do much work – most of the men tried to flee at the appearance of more ninja. The enemy jumped down into the street, though the yells continued, and I guessed more Konoha ninja were waiting for them.

Things were starting to spin now, and somewhere far, far away I could hear my name being called. I tried to turn to see who it was, but the movement made me dizzy. The next thing I knew, I was wrapped up tight in something warm, watching the stars whizz by above me.

* * *

Kakashi had grabbed Maia before she hit the ground. Gai immediately took control of the situation, tying up the man who had attacked Mai and taking him away to the ANBU headquarters for questioning. Asuma and the other ninja they had rounded up on the way were chasing the rest of the intruders, who would join their leader after capture. In the meantime, Mai had to be taken to the hospital. Kakashi looked down at the girl in his arms, and saw that her eyes were partially open, gazing vacantly at the sky. He wasn't sure what that man had done to her to put her in such a state, he hadn't been in any bingo book Kakashi had ever seen, so he can't have been that powerful. Then again, Mai possessed far more Chakra than anyone he had ever seen, and to wear her out so quickly and completely was no mean feat.

Kakashi leapt onto a tree branch, careful not to let Mai feel the impact. Her eyes had shut again, and her face was pale. He put on another burst of speed and jumped back onto the rooftops; the lights of the hospital burned brightly up ahead.

He jumped down into street and cut through the crowd; the citizens of Konoha backing away quickly at the sight of the person he was carrying.

He shot through the front doors, looking around for someone to help him. A medical Nin appeared at his elbow, and before he could get a word out, the doctor lifted her out of his arms and onto a nearby bed. Nurses came running and Kakashi was swiftly pushed to the back of the crowd round his friend's bed.

They started to wheel her away down the hall, not bothering to explain or talk to him. The moment they took her, he realised how hard his heart was beating; he could not convince himself it was just the result of the sprint.

Kakashi sighed and pulled back down his headband. He'd rather be ignored than take up valuable time that could be used to save her. He walked down the corridor Mai had disappeared in, but was stopped by a very stressed and tired looking orderly.

"I'm sorry sir, but this area is for medical personal only."

"My friend is in there, I want to make sure she is ok."

"Well, I'll be sure to update you, but for now please take a seat."

Kakashi considered arguing, but being kicked out of the hospital was not a viable option. Instead he backed towards the wall and slumped against it, and waited for Mai.

* * *

"…Kakashi?"

I didn't have the energy to shout, it was little more than a whisper. A cool hand came to rest on my forehead, and I tried to open my eyes. It took enormous effort, and when I managed to get one open, I saw that it was in fact a woman in a strange blue outfit at my side and not Kakashi. My entire body ached, and I could practically feel every individual chakra point throb. I managed to open my other eye and looked down at my body. I was lying in a bed in a small white room. Little bruises littered their way down my frame. I made a panicked noise and tried to get up, but the combined force of the woman holding me down and my own exhausted muscles thwarted me.

"Where am I?"

The woman stood up and reached for something at the foot of the bed. A clipboard. She sat back down next to me and watched closely.

"Can you tell me your name please?"

I blinked at her, and answered slowly. "Er…I believe it is Maia. What's yours?"

She smiled slightly, and tapped her pen at a name tag that I was too tired to bother to read.

"Ok Maia, do you know why you are here?"

"No. Where is here?"

"You were brought into the hospital last night suffering from severe chakra depletion and multiple burn wounds. We have been giving you chakra infusions throughout the night to stabilise you and restore some of your strength. You are probably feeling a little sore; those bruises are the result of chakra being forced through the chakra points."

It suddenly flooded back to me. Norio and his men, the chakra chains and Kakashi coming to the rescue. Norio had said that he had killed the bird, I guess he truly had.

"I-It was Norio; he drained all of my chakra."

The nurse nodded sympathetically, but then frowned at looked at her chart again.

"There are some things that I need to know to better treat you in regards to you blood line trait. You have two reserves of chakra, the second being that of a bird is that right?"

I really hated having to tell people the intimate details of my trait. It was supposed to be a secret. I sighed and stared determinedly at the ceiling. The Sumiko Clan had a tradition of sacrifice for the first born of the main branch family. A Hou-ou is a golden bird of eternal life, though it too dies of old age, it is reborn from the ashes to soar again. It was this bird that was sacrificed, the idea being that the child would obtain its natural longevity and help the clan flourish. I was the first born in the eldest sons' family, and the ritual was carried out as usual. The difference was that I was also born with a blood line trait that had lain dormant in our genes for a century. A rare white Hou-ou was sacrificed in my honour, but the spirit actually bonded with mine, activating the trait. The Kekki Genkai is the ability to transform the Hou-ou's life energies into chakra, meaning my reserves were enormous. As all life comes to an end, the bird will die when this energy is used up. However, the Hou-ou rises from the ashes, and after at least a month to rejuvenate, I can once more draw on its energy for myself. My entire Clan has been wiped out, and I am the only person in the world to have this power; exactly why it was best kept secret.

I cleared my throat and edited some of my history, so that the nurse only knew the basics.

"The second reserve belongs to a spirit. I was using that supply when I got caught by the chakra chains. I was already running low on that type of chakra; it doesn't get replenished as it is taken from the spirits original life span. The chains absorbed it all, and now I can't use it for the next month."

"Why a month?"

"_That_ is not important. I still have my own natural reserves-,"

"-Which are also very low at the moment."

I shrugged and settled deeper into my pillow, not wanted to discuss it anymore. I had had the spirit 'die' on me before, I knew how this was to go. I would just be flying solo for a few weeks and then be back to normal, I was strong on my own.

Though come to think of it, I had been using the Hou-ou a lot more than usual in the last 2 years, I shouldn't be surprised that it had died so soon.

My thoughts were interrupted at a knock at the door. I looked up expecting another doctor, but was pleasantly surprised to see Kakashi standing in the doorway. The nurse suddenly started to blush and knocked the clipboard off her lap. She giggled and fussed about with her hair, grinning all the while at Kakashi, who seemed completely oblivious. I felt a twinge of annoyance at her pathetic display, and glared daggers into her back. Not that she noticed, for all the attention she was paying me; she had elbowed me in the head while trying to smooth out her hair. He brushed past her and stood at the foot of my bed. I realised he was waiting for her to leave, and expected the nurse to be upset. Instead she was gazing at the arm that Kakashi had touched accidentally when he walked by. She floated out of the room, and her squeal of excitement did not go unnoticed on my part. I smiled at Kakashi sleepily.

"Still breaking hearts then. She must have a thing for guys with pig noses."

He rolled his eyes, but I could see the hint of a smile beneath his mask.

"You're clearly alright. I may as well go then."

"You just got here!"

"So you want me to stay?"

"No! I just didn't want for it…to have been a waste of a trip for you…"

God that was a lame excuse. Why didn't I just say I was bored and wanted the company? I was turning into a simpleton like that silly nurse; could barely think straight in his presence. He had that knowing smile on his face again and I was instantly annoyed. Look at him, thinking he just knew everything.

He pulled the armchair up to my side, sat down, kicked off his sandals and put his feet in the bed.

"Hey!"

I tried to kick him off, but pulled a muscle and yelped in pain instead. He smirked to himself and leaned back and shut his eye.

"Kaka-, Oy! What're you doing?"

"I stayed up all night in the waiting room. It is far more peaceful in here, so I am going to get some sleep."

"What were you doing in the waiting room?"

"Waiting." He answered flatly, keeping his eye shut.

"But why?"

"For a better room to sleep in. Why do you think?"

"Oh."

I bit my lip and watched him for a moment. He must have brought me in last night. The memory of Kakashi standing between Norio and I came back to me. I smiled slightly and lay back down, feeling a bit tired also. It always seemed to be like this, me getting in trouble and Kakashi helping me out. It really was time to grow up, to stop messing around like a kid and become stronger. There will not be a repeat of last night, I had bragged about being so good a ninja that I couldn't be touched, but the moment the white chakra was drained, I was hopeless. Time to live up to my own expectations. Before I too drifted off to sleep, I replayed the events of last night in my head.

"Kakashi?"

"…Hm?"

"Thanks."

"Mm…"

* * *

When I next woke up, Kakashi was gone and note was left in his place. I thought I was too tired and sore to reach over for it, but when the love-struck nurse entered, I snatched it away and stuffed it behind my pillow.

She skirted around my bed and tucked my blankets beneath my feet, played with the curtains, checked the bags of fluid that were slowly being injected into my veins. She was about to start fluffing my pillow before I swatted away.

"What are you doing?" I demanded. She clearly wanted something, and I was getting increasingly annoyed at the constant fussing.

"My job. I'm supposed to make sure you're comfortable." She answered sharply. I rolled my eyes; the woman was so transparent in her ulterior motives it was almost laughable.

"Kakashi isn't here; he was gone when I woke up. Can I take a message?"

She spluttered and blushed, trying to deny my accusation, though she didn't manage to get a sensible word out. Instead she backed slowly out of the room still muttering to herself and shooting furtive glances my way. I pretended to ignore her, wondering vaguely if that was the girl Kakashi had warned me about. If so, it wasn't very nice of him to ignore her like that.

Speaking of which, I had a note to read. I pulled it out from behind me, and squinted down at the writing.

_Mai, have to run, Miki knows I'm here and has gone on rampage. Am busy training Uchiha for upcoming exam so may not see you for some time. Naruto made it through also. Rest up; I will see you at final exam. HK._

I'd see him at the final exam? Wasn't that like a month after the second one? I slumped back against my pillows, irritated and disappointed. Outside the day was sunny and birds swept above the roof tops. I wondered where Norio was now, whether Kakashi had killed him outright or if he had escaped. I certainly wasn't going to get anywhere laying around in this bed. If he was out there, I had to get stronger for the next time we met. I kicked back the covers, ignoring the pain that shot up my legs and pushed myself out of bed. I wobbled silently for a moment, before tumbling in a heap on the floor. It seemed my chakra had not yet been totally replaced. I grumbled to myself and sat upright, leaning against the bed-frame.

"Mai?"

I looked up. Gai was standing at my door, looked confused and strangely forlorn.

"Hey Gai! What're you doing here?" my legs kicked out beneath me uselessly as I struggled to stand up. Gai immediately grabbed me under my arms and lifted me back onto the bed, and stood back, observing me seriously. He still hadn't answered me, instead choosing to sit beside me, contemplating his knees.

"You okay?"

His gloomy demeanour had caught me off guard, and I was considering whether or not to lecture him on his less than youthful behaviour, when he finally talked.

"My student, Lee is in here too. He...he was badly injured during the second exam…they don't think there is anything they can do to fix the damage his body has suffered."

Lee…must be the one who looked like guy, the one I had seen at the first exam.

"I'm so sorry Gai. Surely there is something that can be done. I know it's hard, but he needs you to stay positive now. There are advances in medicine everyday, who knows, there could be a doctor who can help him somewhere out there."

I patted his shoulder. I didn't think my words were entirely encouraging, but the guy looked less miserable anyway.

"Yeah, I suppose. I just have to take my mind off it for a while. I…I think I'll go and do 1000 laps around training grounds..."

He got off my bed and walked slowly back to the door, when I had an idea.

"Hey, hey Gai! How about you train me while Lee recovers! We both have things to take our minds off, and intensive training is the best thing for it!"

He gave me a surprised and confused look, but then started to smile.

"Really?"

"Yeah! We can start now"

He frowned at me. "Mai, you can't walk."

Eh, fair point. I nodded at him thoughtfully.

"Okay. Then I'll get better by tomorrow and I'll meet you at the training grounds tomorrow. I need to get faster Gai. And stronger. Do you think you can help me?"

His smile stretched across his face, and he suddenly whipped his hand around. I momentarily wondered if he was going to hit me, when I saw that he was giving me the thumbs out. I refrained from wincing, and smiled back at him. He disappeared a moment later and I went back to sleep, determined to be strong enough to leave tomorrow.

* * *

After escaping the wrathful Miki, Kakashi went straight to the Hokage's office to report on the incident the night before. He was sitting in front of the old man, who was considering Kakashi carefully over his finger-tips.

"Do we know who the ringleader is yet?"

The Hokage sat back, and nodded, puffing on his pipe.

"Yes. He goes by the name Norio. He is the leader of a small group of rogue ninja who specialise in stealing rare jutsu and selling the secrets on the black market. He had been after Maia for some time."

"He told Ibiki this already?"

"Ibiki is good at his job. I find him to be quite persuasive."

Kakashi was quiet. Why hadn't Mai mentioned this to him? He didn't have to think hard. She was so self-confident that she considered herself untouchable. It must be a slight to her ego, for this Norio character to have nearly killed her. The Hokage continued.

"Mai will be alright in a few days. I reviewed her medical records, and it turns out that Norio completely drained the Hou-ou chakra, effectively killing the bird spirit."

Kakashi started.

"So he got the jutsu after all?"

"No, no. The Hou-ou will be reborn, though she will have to rely on her own chakra for the next month. In that time, I am assigning her to missions. She needs to learn to be strong on her own, she has relied too heavily on her blood-line trait and let her other talents wane."

Kakashi mentally kicked himself. He would have trained her himself, shown no mercy, but Sasuke was a danger unto himself, and needed his help more than Maia.

"I have a request, Sarutobi."

The old man nodded, encouraging Kakashi to proceed.

"I want Mai to be trained in between missions. You're right about her reliance on the Hou-ou, and so I would like to recommend Gai, he can help her in terms of strength and speed."

The Hokage considered it. If Mai could obtain the strength and speed she reached while using the white chakra while in her normal form, it would cause the Hou-ou's powers to be all the stronger. He finally nodded.

"I shall see to it. Good luck with _your_ training Kakashi, I shall see you at the exams."

Kakashi stood and bowed slightly before walking out the door.

* * *

I was at the training grounds bright and early the next morning. Not due to supreme organisation skills, but more a case of being chased from the hospital by some receptionist that was practically foaming at the mouth. Can't say I wasn't warned.

I'd stopped by my place and changed quickly into black leggings and a black singlet, before heading off to meet Gai.

He was already doing laps around the area when I arrived, and I was quick to join him. We raced for the next hour, to the point of exhaustion. I was pleased when he stopped, though my heart dropped when he said what a good 'warm-up' that had been. I stifled my groan; this needed to happen in order for me to get fast. So fast that no one could ever touch me.

I had been assigned missions for next week, all B level, so really not difficult, but I would still use them as training exercises.

I straightened up from panting in time to see Gai rushing at me with a kunai drawn.

"Never give you opponent an opportunity to attack Maia!"

I yelled, and leapt backwards from him, settling on a tree branch and pulling my own weapon.

"Jeez Gai! You're my training partner – not my enemy!"

"Between now and sunset, the two are the same!"

He kicked through the branch I was balanced on, and I toppled down with the debris. I landed a split second before Gai, but managed to gather my chakra to my feet a leap away, landing the jump and rolling on my shoulder, back to my feet.

He was on me immediately, his movements quick and sure. He dropped the knife, instead going for hand to hand combat. I followed his lead, and just managed to keep up. However I was starting to tire and he showed no signs of stopping, and soon he began landing hits. I would be purple with bruises tomorrow.

We continued this was until sunset, just as he promised. I could barely stand by the end of it. I was covered in dust and bruises, while he remained unmarked.

"Same time tomorrow Maia."

"Are you serious? Do you put your kids through this too?"

"Of course! Nothing but the best Mai! You can take it, you're young, and the young never tire!"

I threw a knife at him in a temper, but he dodged it easily, becoming a blur. He smiled at me, seeming to understand my frustrations.

"This is day one. Tomorrow you will be stronger, and the day after that, stronger still. Stay with it Maia and you will reach your goal."

I put down the other knife I had been preparing to throw at him. He was right, as much as I hated this kind of working out, it was effective and in my case the results would show fast. We bowed at each other, and headed back to the village. I got in a lucky punch to the arm when he wasn't looking.

Ha, stronger already.

* * *

A week had gone by since I started my training with Gai, and I could already feel the difference. I felt stronger, and was actually managing to land a few hits on Gai when we spared, though he was still far faster than me. I was now used to the horrified looks from the landlord when I crawled in the door at night, covered in bruises. She had seen me hanging around Gai, and had come to the conclusion that he was my abusive boyfriend. I didn't bother to correct her, but when I found her hitting him in the street, an intervention was called for.

Today I had a break from training, as I had my first mission. It was a simple delivery job for a nearby village that was supposed to take 2 days. Gai had pulled me aside the night before and told me I had better finish it in half a day, or we would train until midnight to make up for the sin of a squandering youth.

I pulled on my backpack with the scrolls for delivery, and shot out the gate at 5am. Though I didn't feel faster, I was surprised at my stamina, and how long I could run for without getting puffed. I grinned to myself, and leapt up into the trees, pushing myself faster and faster along the branches. I took my eyes of my route for just a second, and tripped. I toppled down through the trees, cursing to myself; Gai would surely issue a punishment of a thousand push ups for this. I miserable made a note of my screw up, and that I would inflict my punishment upon myself when I got home tonight. I landed on my feet and ran on the ground instead, using the trees to train my agility. This time I kept my eyes trained ahead, and didn't run into even one.

Yes. I'd get stronger, and the next asshole that tried something on would pay by my own hand. I put on another spurt of speed and raced the sun to my destination.

**Sorry this was uneventful and short, but I'm going on holiday like now, so I have to go. I will update in about a week – hope you all have a merry Christmas.**

**Harper.**


	9. Chapter 9

"Mai! I have a gift for you!" Gai grinned at me, clearly pleased with himself. I was surprised that he'd bothered; we had been training for 10 days, and I was only just starting to make progress. He held up a small stack of gold bracelets, supporting them with both hands. Each was about half an inch thick.

"Wow Gai, you shouldn't have!" I bounded over and took them from him. I immediately slammed head first into the ground. The bracelets left deep round indents in the ground; they would have broken my fingers had I not let go at the last instant.

"What the hell?" I sat up and glared at Gai, who bent and sat down cross legged in front of me. He picked up and snapped open one of the bracelets and took my hand. He clasped the jewellery over my wrist. He took a small key and locked it shut. When he let go, my arm immediately dropped to the ground, leaving another imprint.

"This is the fastest way Mai. This is how I taught Lee. When you can fight normal while wearing these, you will see how strong you have become. There is no time to waste!"

He repeated the procedure on my other wrist and then indicated for me to put the other two around my ankles. When I had done so, he stood up. I followed suit, but when I got to my feet, I noticed I sunk a few inches into the ground, and my shoulders clicked painfully at the weight of my arms.

"Now! Let's Fight!"

"I can't bloody move!"

I tried to raise my arms, but only succeeded in toppling over. Not bothering to get up, I swung one of my arms over my face to shield my eyes from the sun, hitting myself in the forehead in the process. _That _made me see stars. I groaned to myself, knowing he would make me get up and continue.

"Get up Mai."

I knew he was bending over me, watching me critically. Truth be told, I was utterly exhausted. Missions had been coming my way thick and fast, and Gai had not let up with our training at all, at this rate I was going to injure myself. Hell, I may even save Norio the trouble and off myself instead.

"I can't. I'm tired. This is stupid, if Norio attacks me again, I won't be able to move to attack him. I'll just stand there like an idiot and sink into the ground a bit more. How do I get these off?"

Strong hands gripped my shoulders, and I was lifted right back up and propped on my feet. I sunk a bit more.

"You need to get stronger."

"Why?"

I knew why, but it was easier to sulk rather than be reasonable at the moment.

"Because, there will always be someone Mai. Someone who wants your jutsu and it's my job to try and prepare you so you are the best you can be when you have to go up against those people."

"…your job? I thought training was my idea."

He grinned at me sardonically and shook his head slightly at me, though didn't answer.

"Besides, Norio has been sent back to the Hidden Rain Village. He was a rogue Nin who had been hunted for years by the country's black ops. They were very pleased to get him back."

"What? So he could come after me again?"

"No. He's dead. Killed before witnesses, he is not coming after you ever. Ask Kakashi, he'll tell you."

I looked at him blankly. Gai continued.

"He was part of the team to escort Norio's group to the border, ended up being one of the witnesses, though I don't think he was all too pleased by that."

I nodded absently, and wondered why Kakashi hadn't told me.

"Enough talk! Here, you can have the key to the weights, but only take them off after training! Time wanes before us! Focus your chakras to your feet to stop you from sinking – we are doing laps! 100 –the loser must carry the winner home!"

He barely finished the sentence before he sprinted away; leaving me in tears. He lived ages away from me; tonight's training was going to suck. I focused my chakra and followed him; however, I could only manage a slow walk rather than a sprint.

After 3 hours, I finished the 'race', Gai having finished two hours and forty five minutes before me. I was dirty, sweaty and just about in tears as I walked back over to him.

"Gaaaaaai,' I wailed at him, 'can I take these off now?"

"Ok. Go for it."

"What?"

"You have the key."

The look on my face must have been priceless. I patted myself down as fast as I could, before looking back up and catching Gai's triumphant grin. The key was gone.

"You bastard!"

He started laughing at me, clearly pleased at his own conniving. He stopped when I sank my chakra fuelled fist into his stomach with all that extra weight behind it. He fell to the ground wheezing and clutching his stomach. I fell to the ground next to him, ignoring his gasps and gazing at the stars. My eye lids were getting heavier and heavier. Oh well, Gai would take a while to recover, I may as well get some shut eye before he makes me carry him home. My dreams started before I completely closed my eyes, but I was sure that I could hear someone in the distance laughing.

* * *

Gai looked around at the sudden bark of a laugh from the cover of the trees. Kakashi strolled out; his eye crinkled giving away the smile.

"You saw that then?" Gai managed to wheeze, trying to push himself up, but deciding against it when something cracked.

Kakashi stood in front of the pair, looking from the sleeping girl to the wounded man.

"Training must be going well if she can take you out with one punch." Kakashi helped Gai up.

"Yeah,' Gai spat on the ground and saw it was blood. "I wasn't expecting her to get used to the weights fast enough to attack so soon."

"You clearly bring out the best in her – what did you do?"

"I made her lose the key to the weights so she's stuck with them till I decide to take them off."

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully.

"That's a good way to have a few ribs broken."

He bent down and with some effort, pulled Maia up and over his shoulder. There were dents in the ground where her hands and feet had been, and Kakashi raised an eyebrow at her new trainer. Gai just shrugged.

"You wanted to get her stronger. This is how I do it."

"Uh-huh. Well, I'm going to take her home. You should get checked out at the hospital and refrain from teasing the young ones; they will make you feel your age."

"Shut up." Gai grumbled as he limped away in the direction of the clinic, limping slightly.

Kakashi chuckled to himself, before tightening his grip around Mai's waist.

He wasn't supposed to be in this area at all, but his training with Sasuke had finished earlier than usual, and he had taken the opportunity to check up on…

Kakashi shook himself slightly. He had just wanted to see how the training was going. That was all. It wasn't even anything to do with Mai; it was more a matter of seeing what kind of teacher Gai was. Mai mumbled something in her sleep. He glanced in her direction, but she didn't wake. He shifted her into his arms; just because the weight was straining his shoulder. She managed to whack him in the back of the head with one of the bracelets when he moved her, and he had to stifle a curse. There would surely be a bump there tomorrow.

He chanced a glance down at her sleeping frame. She looked so peaceful, entirely relaxed despite the fact that she was snoring away in the middle of the main streets of Konoha. Kakashi took note of the chain around her neck; good, it was there. He wasn't chancing sharing a bed with her again.

The memory of her waking up in his bed, wide eyed and pink cheeked…

Kakashi shook himself again, frowning. Asuma and Gai had really messed with his head. This was nothing to do with Mai herself, surely.

Besides she had a boyfriend.

Kakashi groaned quietly before shutting off that train of thought completely. The entire thing was ridiculous, and he had other things to think about. He spent the remaining half hour of his journey counting windows, stars, civilians – anything to stop him from looking at or thinking about the woman in his arms.

* * *

"Shit!"

My scream must have woken up half the building.

I covered my eye, crying in anger and frustration. The sleep-drunk attempt to rub my eye was a major fail; I'd instead managed to punch myself in the face. A black eye for me surely. I struggled out of bed and into the kitchen for ice to put on my face. Close inspection on the contents of my freezer confirmed that the only thing I owned that was remotely frozen was ice-cream. After an intense 3 second debate with myself, I decided that I would rather have a black eye and eat ice-cream for breakfast.

What with all this training, I had to keep the butch at bay somehow. I dug in, resolving to start training earlier today and then check the mission board in the hopes of a break from the manic Nin. He must have taken me home last night, so now I would clearly be punished with 3000 pull ups or something.

Before clearing up, I did a quick count of the days until the exam. Just over two weeks. That was good; I was looking forward to seeing…the fights. Eighteen days. Well, wasn't that nice.

* * *

I groaned as a sunk down into the bath, my sore muscles relaxing at the warmth. I had been training with Gai for three weeks now; the final exam was just 10 days away. I didn't feel as though I had gotten stronger – after all, I was always injured and exhausted from the intense sessions, and could only measure my progress by the decreasing number of bruises. I washed my face, which was covered in dirt; the result of quite an inelegant fall that included tripping over my own feet. I was much faster too, landing hits was the norm now, rather than just being beaten to a pulp day after day without leaving so much as a mark on the overenthusiastic ninja.

Speaking of which, today was officially a 'break' from training. I had another mission, another B rank. It was fairly simple. An extremely prestigious and wealthy client had passed away, and his will dictated that his niece was to receive several priceless scrolls that had been in his possession. They were secrets from the Rock Village, stolen in the war. There were many that would love to get these back, so myself and another Jounin had been assigned to take the scroll to the niece who lived in the Wave Country. Though no one from the earth country would try to steal it back, as it could insight war, there were many small gangs, much like that of Norio, who would love to steal it back.

All we had to do was deliver the scrolls at the bridge, so it would be a short trip, about a day there and another back. I wasn't sure who I was going with yet, though hopefully it was someone who liked me.

I rubbed the soap out of my eyes and got out of the bath. I was used to the weights now, but I was not yet running at full power. I wasn't sleeping well, and combined with the exhaustive training I was on the fast track to burning out. I was lucky I wasn't being made to go alone on the mission.

I gingerly dried myself off and changed in to something suitable for a mission. I pulled on black leggings and paired it with chunky black flat boots and a red t shirt with the sleeves rolled up slightly. I strapped my kunai holder to my leg, my shuriken to my waist, and tucked my headband into the back of my trousers. I threw a few supplies into a back pack, including food, a blanket and scrolls that would be used as decoys and transformed to look like the jutsu scroll. I gave the chain around my neck a tug to make sure it was still there, before looking up the apartment and heading towards the gates in the light of the setting sun.

The other Jonin was a guy called Katsuo, and I was dismayed to find, after offering a cheery greeting, that he was the strong silent type. He had looked me up and down, clearly thinking that I wasn't much, before stalking out through the gates alone, forcing me to run after him. He had already picked up the scrolls from the gate guards, and wordlessly decided that he would look after it. It had taken a lot of pestering for him to let me see it so I could make duplicates.

It was now 10 at night, and we were nearing the edge of the thick Konoha forests. Katsuo had taken off his headband when we left the village, and I noticed that he was dressed in civilian attire. I had attempted to make conversation with Katsuo several times, but he had always either shushed me or ignored me. Now I focused my attentions on my surroundings, listening out for anything unusual. Most gangs were small time idiots, easily managed, but it was always the moment that you let your guard down, that you got attacked by a gang that was powerful. Travelling by night was our best bet of keeping cover, and we would stop once out of the thick forest to sleep and deposit the scroll the next day, mid afternoon.

Though I listened carefully, I could not hear any signs of danger. Katsuo was still stiff as a board, looking right ahead. He was older than me, about 35. His hair was shocking white and pulled back in a low ponytail. His face was heavily lined, making him appear older than he was. A long scar trailed from the corner of his eye to the tip of his chin. He seemed typical of the generation that fought in the War. His detachment was not dissimilar to Kakashi's, and he had the same air of always being on guard, of cautiousness. He probably saw this as a babysitting job in regards to me, the misfit of Konoha.

The hairs on the back on my neck rose, and I glanced at Katsuo, to see if he had felt anything. He still didn't look at me, though his eyebrows narrowed slightly. Though I couldn't hear, smell, or see them, I could feel that we were being watched. I cursed the shoddy timing of the Hou-ou's death, I would normally use that chakra to sense their position, but it was something I could only do with white chakra.

Just as quickly as it appeared, the presence was gone.

"We should continue through the night."

Katsuo's gruff voice sliced through the night. I took his lead, attaining an air of aloof coolness and continued staring ahead.

"Why's that?"

"Ambush."

And that was the end of that heart to heart. I winced inwardly, I was already knackered from training earlier, and I was counting on sleep to get me through. Though there was nothing for it. If someone attacked us, they would end up decapitated for stealing me of my precious rest. Truth be told, I hadn't felt 100% even after being treated, my chakra supply was lower than it should be. Perhaps Norio had done more damage than we realised.

I massaged the muscles in my neck and rolled my shoulders. We walked in silence without incident for another few hours, though I couldn't shake the feeling of someone being near by.

My eyelids were starting to droop, and the weights on my arms and legs felt heavier with every step. The trees suddenly cleared, and the path weaved through bush-lands. I was rolling my shoulders again, eyes closed when I felt it.

I yanked out a kunai and raised it in front of me, and before I had time to open my eyes I heard the clang of metal on metal. Katsuo was back to back with me, holding up an enormous shuriken, silently counting our attackers. The shuriken they had thrown in my direction were at my feet. There were twenty or so men surrounding us, knives and throwing stars at the ready. Several leered at me menacingly, scanning me from head to toe. I tightened my grip on my knife, waiting to see what they were going to do.

None of them were wearing headbands, and I wasn't able to tell if they were ninja or not. I couldn't tell anything by their appearances, their faces were painted black and their clothes gave no indication of nationality.

"What do we have here then?"

One of the group broke away and walked towards us, grinning. I could see that his teeth had been filed into points, and wrinkled my nose slightly. I was about to talk, to make up a story to avoid a fight, but Katsuo beat me to it.

"My daughter and I are returning to the Wave Country."

"At night? Seems a bit odd…" The man circled us, and the others laughed, some pacing nervously. I didn't like the way some were staring at me. I knew exactly what was on their minds, and I didn't know if I was strong enough in this state to fight them all off.

"Well, we figured that we could avoid trouble under cover of darkness." Katsuo's manner was light and jovial, but I was concentrating too hard on our enemies to pay too much mind. The man stopped in front of me, his smile growing. From what I could see, he was relatively unscarred and was giving me the same measuring gaze.

"Why would you run into trouble? You're not ninja are you?"

"Of course not. We're native to the Wave country."

"It's just that we're expecting two tonight. You haven't seen them?"

He started walking around us again, circling like a shark.

"'Afraid not."

"That's too bad."

He stopped, glanced back at his men before turning back to us.

"Of you go then."

None of the men moved, and I stood still uncertain. Katsuo put an arm around my shoulders, bowed at the man and walked slowly out of the circle. I could feel their eyes burning into my back, and I could already feel the adrenaline pumping. They would not let us leave; I prepared to attack. Katsuo suddenly pressed something into my hand; a knife. No, the scroll transformed. I tucked the real knife down my front, and put the scroll into my kunai holder. The voice came from behind us.

"You know, on second thoughts, perhaps you should stay."

I heard the knife come whistling through the air, and the sickening sound of it embedding itself between Katsuo's shoulder blades. I immediately pushed off him and crouched to the ground, spinning around. Katsuo disappeared in a puff of smoke, and I vaguely registered his reappearance behind one of the grunts that had looked at me the wrong way. The subordinate was dead in a second. I stopped watching Katsuo and charged ahead, weaving hand signs. I barely had time to summon the fire bird when the ground beneath me cracked open. I leapt away, but ropes wrapped around my limbs and pulled me back. I realised that they were roots that had sprung up from the giant fissure in the ground. The bird swooped on a group of men, two catching fire. I hacked at the roots, though more and more wrapped around me. I started summoning chakra into my hand, packing it down and compressing it. Just a little bomb, enough to catch the attention of the Wave Country, but not enough to kill me. The roots started pulling me forward, towards one of the men who had more than fighting on his mind. He smiled and a few of his friends came over. I desperately called forth more and more chakra; this would nearly wipe me out. He reached out towards me. Compress. Compact. I could feel it become unstable. His fingertips brushed the front of my top when I wrenched my arm free and punched him through the chest. The bomb exploded and I was thrown backwards, free of the roots. I was immediately on my feet and running. The pervert and another friend were dead, and there was a good sized crater in the clearing. I pulled my knife out of my trousers, and concentrated my chakra to my feet and put on a burst of speed. I took out another three, swift, silent cuts to the jugular for all. I suddenly looked up, and amidst the writhing, burning roots and my vengeful fire bird (who had killed another man) I saw Katsuo sparing with the leader. Two subordinates sneaking up behind him. I wouldn't make it by foot. Someone rushed towards me, and I planted my kunai in his belly before kicking him away. I pulled out the one Minato gave me and threw it hard towards the back of one of the men behind Katsuo. In a second I was behind them. I'd made hand signs before I transported, using Fire Palm Jutsu. They both turned towards me, surprised, before I grabbed both of their faces with my burning hands. They barely had time to scream before I tossed them aside. Katsuo was gone again, and I scanned the battle area. The bird had set fire to half the surrounding forest now, and there were huge craters littering the clearing. I saw several men running back into the trees, though most lay unmoving on the ground. Perhaps fatigue dulled my senses, or maybe it was the smoke, but I didn't even feel it till it sat imbedded in my back. The jolt sent me forward to my knees, and I finally registered the sickening weight on my back, the blood running down my arms. I heard Katsuo calling my name far off. I turned my head slightly, and saw the massive shuriken he had been holding sticking out of my back. The leader was laughing somewhere nearby, and I guessed he had thrown it. I reached back and pulled it out, though my brain was screaming at me to leave it. I tried to stand up, but my body was past functioning. I collapsed back onto all fours, arms trembling from the strain. Blood ran into my eyes, not that it mattered, my vision was fading now. Sound was fading too, the leaders laugh was cut off with a sickening squelch. It was quiet now, whether from the end of the battle or my impending deafness. All that was left was touch, and I could feel the ground vibrating slightly with footsteps. My arms finally gave out and I collapsed onto the burnt, bloody ground.

* * *

I walked down the corridor, my lonely footsteps echoing off the walls and the high ceiling. I hadn't been here before, but it was quite nice. The marble floors were clean, and the large windows inset every few feet in the walls made the narrow space feel huge. I tried to look out the windows, but found it was impossible, adhering to the rules of a dream. I knew where I was going, there was a doorway at the end of the hall that stood ajar. I reached out and pushed it open, noticing the warmth in the room. It was silent and peaceful, many windows and more white.

In the centre was a low white, stone carved pedestal. On top, floating a few inches in the air was a small white flame. I walked quietly towards it, and bent down looking at it carefully. It pulsated heat, like a heart beat. I realised that I could hear mine, the flame moved in time to in. I leaned closer and looked into the deepest part of the flame. A bird was nestled there, resting.

"Hou-ou…"

I whispered to it. The bird finally opened its eyes and looked back at me.

The flame grew larger.

* * *

When I opened my eyes again, there was more white. A big white room, though it was far from tranquil. Beeps and footsteps echoed around me and the blinding sunshine flooded the floor by my windows. I still couldn't move, though I could turn my head far enough to look at the person by my bedside. The silly nurse again. She looked up at the movement.

"Why Maia, back again so soon!"

**Hey sorry not so much Kakashi in this one, but I assure, things****are going to happen very soon: P. I realise that Mai seems to be pretty useless at present, but wait, she may end up awesome. Sorry if there are mistakes – I don't know why I insist on writing these late at night…but there you are. Review please – I can see you're all bloody reading this thing, how about some encouragement people?**


	10. Chapter 10

I had long given up trying to console Gai. He was sitting on the end of the bed, apologising and berating himself.

"It's all my fault Mai! I was over-ambitious! Foolishness is a condition of the youthful! I am so sorry; I shall run 3000 times around Konoha in your honour!"

On he rambled; I slumped back against the pillows. I had objected to the last twenty punishments he had suggested, but he seemed determined to inflict severe pain on himself. Now it was easier just to shut up and let him continue.

I was also telling myself off, for still not being strong enough. Hell, I didn't even notice a great bloody weapon flying in my direction, and was now to be holed up in hospital for the next week. I had been unconscious for four days, and the doctors had taken the opportunity to run more tests. As it turned out, I had been right. Norio had taken much more of my natural chakra reserves than everyone first realised, and my body had rejected the chakra infusions, something to do with the presence of the Hou-ou. Plus all the training and missions had prevented me healing properly; meaning I had gone out on the mission far below full strength. I could see Gai's logic in that it was his fault that I ended up this way, but I preferred to blame Norio and the man in the clearing; after all, I had asked for Gai's help.

It was all just…unfortunate.

Gai's stream of self-abuse was interrupted.

"How are you feeling today Sumiko?"

Katsuo had entered quietly and was standing just inside the door. He was eyeing Gai cautiously, clearly thinking him unhinged.

"Better now that I'm stitched back together. Any news?"

I had spoken to Katsuo briefly the day before, about what had happened after I lost consciousness. My bomb had drawn the attentions of the Wave Country guard, and they had arrived shortly after the battle. Katsuo gave them the scroll, and several guards escorted him and I back to Konoha. The men in the clearing were exiled ninja from several different countries. Those that fled into the forest to escape the fight had been captured; the leader was dead. My back had been split open, and one of my lungs had been punctured. I'd lost a lot of blood, and had been rushed straight into emergency. I'd spent the majority of my time here asleep, the exception being when Gai woke me up to tell me of his plans of punishment.

"I just thought I'd let you know that the niece received the scrolls, so overall the mission was a success."

He was still hesitant and awkward, even after all we had been through. He shifted uneasily by the door, preparing to leave. Oh well, it was good of him to check in. Again there was that reminder of Kakashi, while seemingly cold and aloof, Katsuo still felt responsible for his comrades, and would protect them no matter what.

"Okay, well thanks for checking in then." I offered a small smile and a wave. He remained serious, bowed and left. I turned my attention back to Gai, and saw that he was muttering to himself. When I concentrated, I realised that he was convincing himself that standing on hot coals for 24 hours was a worthwhile punishment.

"For the love of god! How about blaming the guy that shoved the blade in my back? Would you stop?"

A nurse stuck her head in the room, having heard my outburst, and narrowed her gaze on Gai, who was looking rather sheepish.

"_Excuse me_, this is a hospital. You are distressing my patient; I shall have to ask you to leave."

Gai bowed his head at the reprimand and slouched from the room without a word. Thank god, I was knackered from fighting the sedatives I was on. My back was starting to hurt again, though the nurse came over to turn up the morphine. It was a different one from when I first woke up; I had requested a new one when the other refused to give me my sedatives until I told her whether Kakashi would be visiting. I'd scoffed at her and told her that I didn't see what the appeal was. She backed off when I said he was missing his cheeks, and the mask was there to stop him drooling on himself.

However this new one didn't seem to be in a hurry to leave.

"So Miss Sumiko, have you had many visitors?"

I shut my eyes tight and tried to let the sedatives take over. No such luck.

"Miss Sumiko? Maia?"

I finally spat out "No."

I heard her footsteps go towards the door.

"Well in future, I'll make sure all your visitors check in with me first. It's not good for you to get over excited."

I'd have rolled my eyes if I could. Sure that was the reason, nothing to do with ambushing Kakashi at all. Ah well, the chances of him seeing see were just about nil. I'd been injured so many times over the last month that it wasn't even an occasion anymore. Besides, when I asked Gai about him, I found out that he and Itachi's brother were training in the mountains somewhere, and he wasn't going to come all the way back just for me. Plus, that receptionist would chase him out if he so much as stepped a foot in the hospital.

My stomach lurched when I realised that the Chunin exams were just 5 days away; Kakashi would be there and I would be…still in hospital. I cursed under my breath. The nurse, who had been scribbling away on my chart looked up and raised an eyebrow. I cleared my throat and looked up blearily, my vision starting to waver.

"Er…sorry."

She went back to her chart, rolling her eyes. There had to be a way for me to get there, and I had 4 days to think of one. I feigned sleep while my brain worked frantically away.

* * *

"Absolutely not! She cannot leave the hospital until she is completely healed; we can't make any more mistakes!"

The nurse and Asuma were arguing outside my room. When he finally visited, I told him of my predicament and he immediately rose to the challenge. Though he didn't seem to be winning in this verbal sparring with the nurse.

"But the Chunin Exams only-,"

"Mr Sarutobi – she is your friend! I'd expected better from you that to risk her fragile health for a stupid compet-,"

"I'm not fragile!" I bellowed from my bed, struggling against the sheets to prove my strength. I succeeded in knocking over one of the beeping machines, and smashing a vase of flowers from well-wishers.

"I have the final word – she stays until I say she can go!"

"But-,"

"- that's final! Good day sir!"

Angry footsteps stomped away down the hall, and Asuma trudged back into my room looking annoyed. He threw himself into a chair and glared out the window.

"You should have kicked her." I advised. He smiled slightly.

"Don't worry about it Mai, we'll find a way for you to get out of here."

I was getting stronger every day, though I was rather stiff from the lack of activity. I slept most of the time, determined to get well enough, but that nurse was being a pain. She would undoubtedly keep me here just to spite me now.

Asuma took my silence as one of disappointment, and leaned forward urgently.

"Mai, you will get to see Kakashi, don't worry about that, I'm sure he will come straight to the hospital -,"

I whipped my head around, an idea forming. Asuma cut himself off, looking a bit nervous at my wide-eyed expression.

"Er…What?"

I started to grin, pleased at my own wiliness. I tapped my nose slyly and shook my head at him.

"I'll tell you later. I'm tired now, but I'll see you later right?"

He was squinting at me suspiciously, trying to figure out the plots and plans forming in my head. Eventually he got up and said his goodbyes. He opened the window, and had one leg hanging out when he turned back to ask:

"You're not going to do anything stupid are you?"

"When do I ever?"

He raised his eyebrows at me, and had to duck the other vase that was in my reach. He laughed, and jumped from the sill down into the streets.

"Bloody Ninja, why can't you use the door!"

I turned to see that the nurse had returned with a great scowl on her face. She started to fidget around again, and I decided to try out my plan.

"Nurse…"

"Rei." She supplied.

"Nurse Rei, about the final exam-,"

She threw her hands into the air and groaned with exasperation.

"I've already told you, no!"

"Wait though! Look, it's my only chance to catch up with my friend. I haven't seen him in ages and he's going to be there, maybe you know of him? Hatake Kakashi?"

The nurse stopped what she was doing, standing totally still.

"I mean,' I continued, 'I could always have a nurse accompany me to the exams, he would be so grateful that I was allowed to go."

I feigned innocence and plucked at my blanket when the nurse turned around quickly, narrowing her eyes.

"He'll be there?"

"Yup."

"And you'll introduce me?"

"Yup."

She looked out the window, her eyes glazed. I could practically read her thoughts; the Kakashi fanatics were all the same. She'd be thinking about how she would be on the arm of the most eligible bachelor in Konoha. She'd be famous throughout the village; a cut above the rest of us 'peasants'. She'd be thinking about the possibility of him becoming Hokage and what that would mean for her.

I had heard all of these fantasies from women during my time tormenting fan-girls as a child. No one cared that he was an idiot jerk.

An idiot jerk that even I had a crush on.

I pushed that thought away quickly, and realised that Rei's attention was once more focused on me.

"Don't think for a second that I don't know what you're doing."

I looked at her blankly; my innocent expression must be terrible. Instead I shrugged at her, and waited for the continuation of her tirade. She opened her mouth again, but stopped before she spoke, smoothed her hair and drifted out of the room.

I grinned to myself triumphantly. The fact that I had to introduce her sucked, but at least now I got to go to the exams.

* * *

I glared up at the dark ceiling, furious that I was still awake. Sleeping without sedatives was proving to be difficult, and it was now two in the morning; how was I supposed to heal up if I couldn't rest? I kicked the blankets off me, too hot and bothered. There was a faint light coming from the corridor, and I could hear the low murmurs of the nurses and doctors on duty.

Outside the moon was full, and it was a calm, clear night. The stars were out in their thousands, and a slight breeze swayed the trees outside my window.

I impatiently blew the hair that had fallen into my face away, and rested my hands and feet against the metal bars of my bed, relishing its cold touch.

It still wasn't enough. I looked out through the window again, and the cool night beckoned. It wouldn't hurt just to open it.

I swung my legs off the bed, onto the floor, and was pleased to find that I didn't collapse. I grabbed the pole holding the fluids I was hooked up to and wheeled it over to the other side of the room and pulled the window open.

I stuck my head out immediately, enjoying the fresh air. The moonlight cast Konoha in an eerie bluish glow; the streets were quiet and still. It seemed everyone was resting up for the exam, leaving the village unusually calm. After a week of being confined to that little room, it was almost overwhelming to have so much space. The idea of shutting the window on it all and returning to bed was heart-breaking.

I looked up at the stars again, contemplating my situation. It was boring, just lying there in the hospital, surely I was well enough to do something useful. Far off in the distance I could see the training field; and beyond it, I knew the memorial waited. I bit my lip, would it be safe for me to go there again?

I was crouching on the sill before I'd even contemplated the thought.

Bugger it, I needed to stretch my legs, why not go and visit Obito while I was at it? I gingerly pulled the IV needle out of my arm and hopped down on the roof below. The landing impact was something to get used to, and the weights were something else again. No matter, I could just take my time.

I jumped down to the street more carefully, concentrating my chakra properly so as to not break my legs, and then set off towards the memorial.

I was only wearing a white, hospital issue night-dress, and I was momentarily pleased for the fact that no one was around to see me.

It was oddly peaceful, wandering the streets of my home. I got to look and take my time as I would not during the daylight hours.

I reached the training fields surprisingly fast, and sped up to reach the memorial stone. I didn't feel afraid this time, though slightly anxious, as though I was meeting someone new.

The stone glowed dimly in the distance, and I could already make out the names carved upon it. The atmosphere was almost churchlike in its solemnity, and everything had a dreamy air to it. I made my way through the overgrown grass and knelt before the stone, tracing Obito's with my fingers, before turning my back, sitting down and leaning against it.

I tilted my head back to look at the stars and licked my lips. How did I do this? Should I talk to him in my head or aloud? It's not like anyone would hear me. I cleared my throat, and began.

"Um…Obito? It's Maia; we used to play ninja together. You probably don't recognise me, it's been a while…"

The voice inside my head told me that of course he didn't recognise me, he is _dead_. I ignored it and pushed on.

"It's been a weird few years. I'll tell you that. But you should see how everyone has grown up – I can hardly believe it. Asuma is a really great guy, and Gai is as psychotic as ever. They've both been good to me…

'And Kakashi. Jeez, is that a surprise. He's still a jerk, but not as much as before. He has his own team now, which is hilarious to watch… You'd be proud of him, Obito. Hell, you probably _are_, who knows how this whole death thing works, I've been close to it so often you'd think I'd have a better understanding of the concept, but I'm afraid no-," There was a sudden movement in the distance.

"-Maia?"

I managed to contain myself, preventing a stream of shocked curses at the last minute. Kakashi was suddenly staring down at me, appearing from no where. I tried to calm my thudding heart as I gazed up at him in surprise. He was frowning slightly at me, seemingly as confused at my appearance and I was at his.

"Oh, um, hi."

My mind raced, wondering if he had heard what I'd been saying to Obito, or worse, if he had heard me and assumed I was talking to myself.

"What are you doing out here?"

"Visiting Obito. What's your excuse?"

He seemed surprised at my answer.

"Looking for you. You're supposed to be in the hospital." That last part was said with annoyance. I glared at him, he was one to talk. He was famous for disappearing from hospital beds to train instead of resting or healing.

"I'm fine." I muttering, pulling at the grass. There was movement next to me, and I felt him sit down, lean back against the stone. He also looked up at the stars.

"How'd you know I was in the hospital?"

"Asuma sent word when you were admitted. I came as soon as I could, he seemed to think you were in critical condition, but I see you're your usual pleasant self."

I pulled a face at him, thinking he wasn't looking.

"Careful. The wind may change and you'll be stuck like that."

I quickly rearranged my face and resumed destroying the lawn.

"Anyway,' I tried again, 'I heard you were training in the Mountains, you didn't have to come all the way back here because of some flesh wound."

"Mai, it was hardly a flesh wound."

"Aw, did I have you worried?" I said sarcastically, as if anything could ruffle his feathers-,

"Yes."

I turned to him in surprise. He was still staring at the stars nonchalantly. He always knew how to shut me up, though now I felt painfully awkward. He had actually come to see me, to make sure I was okay. What was wrong with him? I decided to change the direction of the conversation; after all, we were both here to remember Obito…

"So do you come here often?" I said.

He finally looked at me, smirking and raising an eyebrow.

"That was not a line!" I said hotly, knowing what he was thinking. He smiled at me, but became serious again quickly.

"Yes, sometimes."

Something in his tone caused me not to pursue the subject; he seemed somewhat distant and thoughtful. The breeze picked up slightly, and I realised that I was actually getting cold. I linked my arm around Kakashi's, trying to warm up a little. He didn't shove me away, which I took as a good sign. I picked up his hand and pressed my palm against it, measuring our fingers.

"I miss him. He was really good at playing ninja."

He didn't answer, and I looked up from our hands. He was staring down at me, frowning slightly. I realised that he probably wasn't comfortable with how close I was, that or he thought I had some sort of hand fetish.

"Sorry, is this not okay?" I pulled away slightly, but his arm tensed around mine, stopping me.

"No, you're fine."

I relaxed again, though my stomach was doing somersaults. He looked away quickly, and I thought he was going to ignore me and try to figure out how to escape.

"He was good at being a ninja too."

I was careful not to look at him, this was a rare insight into Kakashi's head, and I wasn't going to ruin it by saying something stupid. However, despite my silence, he did not continue, once again consumed in his thoughts.

I decided to leave him to it for a while, shutting my eyes to catch some sleep. It only felt like I had shut them for a moment when he piped up again.

"I heard you aren't allowed to go to the exams."

Hm, I wonder how mad he will be when he finds out that I traded him for my freedom…

"Well…that's not totally true…"

He sighed exasperatedly.

"You've done something stupid again, haven't you?"

"Why does everyone keep saying that!"

I tried to pull away again, but his fingers closed around mine, causing a rush of nerves to sweep down my legs. Well, I wasn't going anywhere fast; it was now or never.

"Ihavetosetyouupwithmynurse" I finally mumbled.

"What?"

"I SAID: I can only go if the nurse comes too and…I…introduce her to you…and I kind of indicated that you would be interested in her…"

He groaned and shut his eye.

"What? Just be polite to her! You don't have to pull out the stops or anything!"

"I'm not dating any more nurses Mai."

"I didn't say you had to! Just be nice!"

An odd look passed over his face, though it was too hard to decode in the darkness. He suddenly pushed himself to his feet, and pulled me along with him. I over-balanced and bumped into his chest and had to try to regain my balance.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking you back to the hospital. You've had enough adventures for tonight, and the Nurse will be after my neck if she finds an empty bed."

Tiredness finally hit me, and I didn't give up much of a fight. By the time I realised that we were still holding hands, he released mine and walked off quickly. I watched him go, confused. He turned around suddenly, realising that I wasn't following.

"Maia?"

"Did I offend you or something?"

He looked surprised.

"…No."

There was something wrong with him, but he clearly wasn't about to tell me. So instead I sighed and stomped to catch up to him. We walked back in silence, which was neither companionable nor comfortable. He was thoughtful enough to help me back onto the roof tops and see me back through the window; though by the time I turned around to say good night, he was already gone.

* * *

He had left as soon as she turned away from him, furious with himself. How stupid of him to think she was interested. Kakashi walked back through the silent streets towards the mountains. He would be early for training this morning.

When she had curled up next to him he had thought for a moment…but then she tried to set him up with another woman. Kakashi shook his head, cursing himself again for letting things getting so far. When he had finally gotten Asuma's message he had left for Konoha at once, unsure of what he would find when he arrived. She had been in critical condition for two days, and now she was sneaking out of the hospital out of boredom. He looked up from his feet, and realised that he was at the edge of the village. Before he set off for training, he told himself sternly: "Enough. This idiocy ends now."

Kakashi ran through the early morning, and tried to convince himself that the feeling in his chest was the burning result of the pace he set, rather than sickening disappointment.


	11. Chapter 11

"_Would _you hurry the hell up?" I shouted angrily over my shoulder. That bloody nurse was making the both of us late for the exams. She had mucked around with make-up and hair styles for an hour and a half, and we had probably already missed the first match. I didn't even know when Sasuke was fighting, and it'd be interesting to see Minato's boy too.

I sped up my pace; the stadium was now in view. I ignored Rei's shouts for me to wait up. No Rei, I will not, it's your own stupid fault for wearing high heels. I chose bare feet – all the better to run away with. She was still in her nurses' uniform to look 'professional', and I was in a white dress the hospital had supplied. It looked like my night dress, only someone had cut the sleeves into straps.

"Sumiko! Stop right now or I'll have you dragged back to the hospital!"

Don't hit the nurse. Don't hit the nurse. I took a few shuddering breaths as I waited for the irritating woman to catch up. When she did, I was pleased to see that she was red faced and sweating slightly. Her hair was starting to fall out of its clips too.

"Look what you've made me do!" she whined, whipping out a mirror and trying to salvage what was left of her painted face.

I gritted my teeth and started walking again, climbing up the steps of the arena.

"Don't worry about it,' I said, 'Kakashi's really into that 'wild woman' look. He'll totally go for it."

She looked up hopefully.

"Really?"

No.

"Uh-huh."

Idiot.

She hurried up after that, forgetting that she was really there to make sure I didn't hurt myself. She barged inside, leaving me by myself. Luckily she realised her mistake when the guards nodded in my direction. She bustled back laughing, yanked me by the arm and dragged me up several more flights of stairs. My back was tingling uncomfortably from her less than professional treatment of me, but I figured killing her would be more enjoyable when I was fully recovered.

I was suddenly pulled into a bright light, and after blinking through my daze, I realised that I was outside. I looked around and saw that we were standing in the same arena that I had tried to destroy during my own Chunin Exams; it's amazing what they can do with a bit of paint and cement these days. A proctor was standing in the field in the centre of the stadium, looking up at the people in the stands. There were obvious signs of battle around him; we must have at least missed the first round. The spectators were talking amongst themselves, and I immediately recognised the pink head in the front row. I set off towards it, ignoring Rei and hoping she would get lost in the crowd.

"Sakura, right?"

The pink haired Kunoichi jumped and turned around. I realised some of Asuma's team were sitting nearby. The girls looked different somehow…

"Oh! Miss Sumiko! I -,"

"- Mai-,"

"Mai! I haven't seen you around much, have you been away?"

The girls shifted over so that I could sit down. I ignored Rei; she could sit on the ground.

"Er…in a way. I've been in the hospital for the last week and a half."

"How come?" The blonde from Asuma's team butted in.

"Mission gone awry is the quickest way to say – hey you guys got haircuts."

Keen observation there Maia. I mentally slapped my forehead for being a simpleton.

Sakura smiled and nodded, checking that her hair was in place.

"Yeah, exam gone awry."

Ino, yes that was her name, was glaring slightly at my mane of hair, which I hadn't brushed since…well, ever.

"I found it just got in the way." Sakura continued, seemingly pleased to be able to chat about girl stuff. It must get dull sometimes, being in a team with all boys.

"Mmm, I'd rather just tie mine up…"

I peered over the edge of the barricade, but nothing much was happening down in the pit. Sakura and Ino were babbling happily.

"But what if someone grabbed it in battle; you'd be captured, what would you do?"

"Cut off their fingers?" I offered, still not looking up. Ino and Sakura fell silent, and it occurred to me that I sounded psychotic.

"Or…er… cut my hair off?"

I gathered that something similar had happened to the girls recently, for they were both touching their hair, looking slightly regretful. Good one Maia, insult more people, that's the way to make friends.

"Um…But I have a big head, so I wouldn't suit short hair, you guys look great. Like, um, making a statement or something. Yeah."

Oh just shut up, I told myself. Maybe I was getting old and out of touch after all. Luckily at that moment there was movement on the field, and discussion on hairdressing ceased. A boy had just toppled out of the contestant area, head first onto the ground. I thought I heard Naruto's excited voice, which reminded me -,

"By the way, what did I miss?"

"Oh, Naruto fought Hyuuga Neji and won! We're all so surprised."

I nodded thoughtfully. Well the kid must have gotten some special training after all. Someone elbowed me in the side; Rei was trying to get my attention.

"What?" I hissed.

"Where's Kakashi? I don't care for this – this display of barbarianism. If he's not here then we're leaving."

Sakura heard our conversation, and piped up.

"Oh he and Sasuke haven't arrived yet. Sasuke was supposed to fight second, but the Hokage agreed to postpone the match till later."

I laughed to myself. Jeez Kakashi, late even for this.

"So he'll be here?" Rei almost sounded frantic.

"Er, I imagine so." Sakura was leaning away, looking like she feared for Rei's sanity.

Rei started to talk again, but I'd had enough.

"Rei, shut up before I throw you down there. Enough."

For once she listened to me, and buttoned up. A girl appeared on the pitch, and the two ninja started to size one another up.

"MAIA!" I barely had time to turn around when I was embraced by something strong and green. The hug was bone crushing, and really hurt my back. Gai, then.

"Gai- hurting-me" I managed to squeak, and he suddenly jerked away from me, holding onto my shoulders and flashing his 'good guy' grin. He and Rei would probably go well together, completely and utterly insane.

"I stood on coals for 24 hours in your honour! Your pain is mine – do you want to see my feet?" He made to pull off his sandals, before I grabbed his arm.

"Um. No. I'll take your word for it."

"So then you made it after all! Asuma didn't think you would!"

"Well, it's all thanks to Nurse Rei over here." I gestured to the woman next to me, and successfully diverted Gai's attention to her. While he showered her with attention, I was able to lean over the barricade and watch the battle as it began.

The girl charged at the boy, drawing a huge fan and whipping it around in his direction. The air crashed into the side of the battle-field barrier, causing the stands to shake slightly. The boy had run and dodged it, and was hiding in the shadows.

"Don't just sit there Shikimaru! Beat her up!" Ino screamed from the stands.

Oh, so that's who it was. Well he didn't all that enthused to be in the finals, that was for sure. The two of them stopped moving, instead staring each other down again.

"This is stupid, why doesn't he attack?" I was already bored. When were they going to blow stuff up? Sakura was quick to answer.

"Shikimaru is from the Nara clan, they use shadows to trap and control people's movements. If he's taken refuge in the shadows-,"

"- he's just tilted the playing field in his favour." I finished off. I could see that he was thinking; he was a clever one. Certainly worthy of Chunin status if he survived this. The kids below were still mucking around, and my attention drifted to the other spectators. Most of them looked annoyed, either at the lack of action or the fact that Sasuke was supposed to be fighting now.

"Who's Sasuke supposed to be fighting then?"

Sakura suddenly looked solemn and worried.

"Gaara of the desert. He was the one that put Lee in hospital…"

I looked around behind me, and saw that Lee and Gai were nearby, chatting excitedly about the match. The boy was in bad shape, far worse than I anyway. Rei was muttering under her breath, but I ignored her. She could leave if she wanted.

Choji was saying something to Ino, about how Shikimaru was just going to give up any minute now. They were still standing still but…

"I don't think so. Shikimaru seems to have a plan." I said, pointing at the now smiling boy.

The girl swiped her fan again, devastating the area in which Shikimaru hid. The crowd started to cheer, thinking the match was over, but they hadn't noticed the line of black that was speeding out and away from the wreckage. The girl noticed at the last moment, and had to perform a series of acrobatics to get away in time.

Huh, so that's the Nara clan's infamous jutsu. I'd never seen it in action before. The shadow suddenly stopped growing, and the girl made a mark in the ground.

It seemed the shadow had a limit of how far it could stretch. The girl attacked again, and I noticed that the crowd were beginning to get caught up in the battle. I watched the two of them to and fro for a while longer. I could already see what was going to happen; the boy would run out of chakra and the girl would kick his ass. Seen it all before.

Out of boredom I looked around the arena again, and this time I noticed the amount of the black ops that were stationed in the area. Strange; the Kazekage and Hokage were together, and usually security had to be beefed up…still…there were only eight here, just two teams…

I wondered vaguely whether Adam was here working, I hadn't seen him in a while; he probably thought I had dropped off the face of the earth; I was so wrapped up in training.

There was another huge cheer from the crowd, and when I looked back down, I saw that Shikimaru had finally caught the girl in his jutsu, and was surrendering. Yes, I would be very surprised if he didn't make the cut. Despite losing, he'd shown some real skill…

My arm was tugged.

"Where is he?" Rei barked. I wrenched my arm from her grip.

"I don't know. He's being useless as usual."

"Don't talk about him that way!"

Rei continued to lecture, despite me covering my ears and shutting my eyes. However, a moment later my hands were tugged away by Sakura, who was looking excitedly at the pitch.

"Mai! Look!"

I followed her gaze and saw thousands of leaves blowing around in a tight circle in the middle of the field; two silhouettes were barely visible inside. Rei was hanging over the side excitedly. I refrained from rolling my eyes; always had to make an entrance, didn't he.

"Name?" Said the proctor.

"Uchiha Sasuke" the boy answered.

Rei was pulling my arm again, singing 'he's here!' over and over. I looked at Kakashi and saw him sheepishly scratching his head and asking if Sasuke had been disqualified. If he had been, it'd be entirely Kakashi's fault. I couldn't help but smile.

The proctor called Gaara down from the viewing area, and the others cleared the field preparing for battle.

I felt, rather than heard Kakashi appear behind us. "Hey everyone." He said nonchalantly, causing the Genin to jump. Rei was on her feet, looking pointedly at me and then to Kakashi and back. I barely bothered to look over my shoulder.

"Kakashi, this is Rei. Rei, Kakashi. Rei is a superb Nurse and saved my life. Feel free to talk amongst yourselves." I said flatly. I heard her run past me up to Kakashi.

"Thank you, Rei." I heard Kakashi mutter, his voice growing louder.

I finally turned around and saw that he had walked right past her, towards me. She had stopped in her tracks, and was staring after him, looking astonished at his indifference. Then she looked furious. I was so going to get it when we returned to the ward.

He stopped next to me, raising an eyebrow in an "are you happy now?" way.

"Thanks a lot; she'll try to poison me when we get back." I managed to hiss. He grinned at me, looking pleased with himself. I decided to ignore him, and turned back towards Gaara and Sasuke, who had already begun to fight. Sasuke was a lot different than his brother, all flash and smugness. Itachi never needed those sorts of weapons, he knew he could kill you, and didn't see the need to show off that fact.

He suddenly started circling Gaara so quickly he disappeared.

"Wow..." I murmured in surprise. He had gotten so much better after just a month. Kakashi chuckled beside me. Sasuke was getting behind the sand defence easily, and gradually taking Gaara to pieces.

Gai was demanding to know why and how Kakashi had managed to get Sasuke to Lee's level of Taijutsu. I was only half listening; it was amazing to watch the kid go to work. He was just so...fast.

"Kakashi, you watched the fight between Lee and Gaara, you know he can't be defeated with Taijutsu alone!"

A light went on it my head, and whirled around to Kakashi.

"You taught him – you did didn't you!"

Why else would Sasuke need to get so fast? Kakashi hadn't answered me. Instead I slumped back in my seat and muttered: "Jerk. You would never teach me."

"You know why I didn't Mai." He sounded exasperated. I'd pestered him to teach me Chidori for years as a kid, but he had always refused as I didn't have an affinity for lightening cultured chakra. So I made up my own attack using wind based chakra, and put myself into a short coma when showing him for the first time.

"What are you guys talking about?" I hadn't realised that Sakura was listening, but Kakashi beat me to the answer.

"You'll see in a moment Sakura."

There was a collective gasp from the crowd, and I looked down to see that now, instead of Gaara and Sasuke, there was a giant ball of sand and Sasuke. I wriggled to the edge of my seat to see better.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

Naruto came racing down the steps, demanding an end to the fight.

"That guy! He lives to kill others! He's not like us!"

Naruto had nothing to worry about, if Kakashi had actually taught this child the Chidori, we were better off worrying about whether _we_ would survive the match.

I tuned out the people around me and watched the kid summon his chakra, and concentrate them in the palm of his hand. The noise it made was so familiar – how many times had I seen Kakashi use this same technique? I actually leaned against the barrier, half standing, and half sitting, amazed at what I was looking at.

Sasuke sank his palm deep into the ball of sand, and Gaara's screams could be heard from within. For a moment it looked as though Sasuke had won, when he started frantically pulling away.

He finally got free, but when he jumped back and enormous, veiny, mutated arm was wrapped around his own.

"What's that?" I pointed down at it, and Kakashi had to grab me around the waist to stop me toppling over the side.

Both he and Gai looked confused. The arm withdrew and the sand fell away, piling up around the injured Gaara.

Feathers started to fall from the sky; and I immediately knew that things were about to get bad. I released the genjutsu immediately with one hand, reached into Kakashi's kunai holder for a weapon and got out of my seat. Of course I should have come armed, but after being holed up in bed for a week, I had no idea where my weapons had got to.

There was a sudden clang of metal, as I instinctively threw out my knife, blocking an airborne kunai. Sound and Sand Nin were on their feet, and coming towards us fast, weapons at the ready. I had no idea what was going on, or why these supposed allies were attacking us, and I wasn't going to get to find out.

"Maia,' Kakashi suddenly barked at me, 'You're in no state to fight. Get out of here and warn the village."

Arguing with him now would only make everyone here vulnerable, so I bit my tongue, nodded, and raced along the front row of seats, jumping over the odd slumped citizen. I could hear the noise of battle going on behind me, but didn't bother to turn back; the authorities had to be notified before this got totally out of hand. I jumped off and over the wall of the stadium, and fell the 50 feet down into the street below. I hit the ground running and gathering my bearings, trying to figure out where the majority of ANBU would be stationed around now. I ran along the arena wall, pushing my speed as much as I dared.

Knives suddenly rained down at me, and I flipped backwards to avoid being impaled. I skidded backwards; knife raised and stared down my assailants. 20 or so ninja grinned back at me, all armed with kunai-loaded crossbows.

"And who the hell are you?" I snarled, sizing them up and trying to find a point to break through their ranks. One stepped forward leering at me, his comrades chuckling behind him.

"You shoulda watched that mouth o'yours girly, we woulda let you live." He raised the crossbow, finger puling back on the trigger. I gathered my chakra to my feet and prepared to dart back and down, when the attack suddenly stopped. Another ninja standing near the one who spoke cut him off.

"Wait! Iwa, I've heard about this one – this is Sumiko Maia, the White Nin!"

There was a murmur of interest in the crowd, and it probably wasn't because they were fans of my work. The leader, Iwa, suddenly looked thoughtful, before his face hatched into another malevolent grin.

"Ah yes. I heard you had an accident – not up to your usual standard, are you?"

I swallowed hard, how the hell did he know that? I'd hoped to bluff my way through this but now…

"Yes, _he_ would be _very_ happy to add you to his collection, a nice bonus for us…"

"Who?" I spat out.

"Orochimaru."

Shit. What did he have to do with anything?

"It'd be a waste to kill you outright, come quietly and we'll work some thing out, what do you say-,"

"Fuck off."

I charged at him, furious. He pulled the trigger on his crossbow, but I dodged, circled around and planted my knife in the back of his knee. Something hit me in the ribs, and I groaned when I heard the crack. I couldn't breathe and my vision had gone white from the pain of it all. I was flying through the air. I hit something solid, and then was kicked straight through it. I hit the ground hard and rolled a great distance; I could feel the skin on my arm burn and graze. When I finally stopped I realised I was back in the arena, but in the pit. There was a giant hole in the wall I had been kicked through, and the ninja were filtering in.

If that first kick had not broken my ribs, they certainly were shattered now. I struggled on the ground, managed to get onto my hands and knees before another kick to the stomach sent me flying. It felt as though it was happening in slow motion; I saw that it was the leader who was attacking now, clearly pissed at the shot to the leg from before. My brain kicked into gear while I was thrown back.

_For the love of god – you trained for a whole month and you're still getting your ass kicked. Get on your damn feet and stop being so bloody useless._

This time I used my momentum to my advantage. I rolled backwards onto my feet and managed to stand, clenching my teeth around the cry I nearly let out at the pain in my chest. I skidded to a halt, standing in front of 20-odd fully fledged ninja without a weapon. Iwa seemed to enjoy the display, as did the others; none of them motioned to join the battle in the stands.

"Are you sure you won't reconsider my offer Sumiko?"

I spat on the ground and glared at him. He started walking in a circle around me; I copied him, making sure to never let him behind me. He suddenly threw me a knife and it landed in the grass before my bare feet. I glared at him, not sure what he was doing.

"It'd be too easy otherwise; you might as well perform before I beat you senseless."

We stared at each other, sizing the other up, before I ducked with speed that surprised even me, picked up the knife and charged. I was too fast for him; I threw technique to the winds and tackled him around the middle. I slashed the knife across his throat while straddling his chest, though now he had his bearings. He moved, and I sliced his cheek open instead. He kicked me off his chest, over his head. My hands flew out, and I cart wheeled upright again in time to jump the kick aimed for my head. He countered, and sunk a knee into my ribs and threw me back. I separated myself from the pain now; I'd die if I didn't. I ran at him again and disappeared right before I landed a punch to his gut. I reappeared behind him and sunk my heel into the back of his knee, right where my knife had been. I was about to sink my knife into his back, when a stabbing pain hit me in the shoulder. I wrenched out the kunai that had lodged itself deeply. One of the bastards with the crossbows was firing at me. I fell to the ground and heard Iwa yell "Don't interfere or you're next!"

I could already see what he was going to do; he raised his entire leg, jumped off the ground and aimed to sink his heel into my stomach. At the last minute I grabbed my kunai and aimed it up, causing it to be driven into his calf by his own body weight. The foot still landed, but did nowhere near the amount of damage it would have. I rolled away and got up again. My breath was coming harder, and I could taste blood. I had to finish this now. Sonic bomb it is then. I called forth chakra, which came faster than usual, and compressed and focused it. But Iwa was already on me again, and in my distraction he managed to grab me by the throat.

He pulled me up into the air, slowly choking me. I continued to compact the chakra; this would be my only escape.

"And what do you think you're doing?" He sneered looking at my hand, and laughing.

"You're not the only one with a blood line trait Sumiko."

He performed seals with one hand and then reached towards my bomb.

"N-no!" I managed to splutter, when he scooped it out of my hand into his own. He was laughing harder now – how the hell did he manage to do that? My chakra continued to shiver and quake in his palm; he didn't have the control necessary to maintain it.

I clawed at him hand – the bomb would explode, he didn't know what it could and would do in the wrong hands. Kakashi would enjoy lecturing me about chakra culture later. The others were laughing now too, not paying attention to my struggle. I could see the bomb shaking violently. I was going to be blown to pieces with this idiot. I sank my teeth into his hand, and he dropped me in surprise. I rolled away from him again, though the last thing I saw was his expression change from anger to fear when the ball of chakra gave a final shake. He dropped it on the ground just as it exploded. The noise echoed tenfold around the walls, deep fissures appearing in the concrete. I was thrown backwards, beaten by the debris from the blast. I hit something hard – one of the trees in the arena, and found I could not move.

Is he dead?

Without moving I scanned the area for moment. The battle in the stands had momentarily ceased, but was full throttle once more.

"Bitch!"

My eyes darted in the direction of the sound, and I could see a silhouette hurrying through the dust.

"Bitch!"

The voice came louder. I could see him now. The man who had recognised me before Iwa had, was walking towards me quickly. He bent, not breaking his pace, and picked up a discarded crossbow. His arm had been blown clean off. He had a massive bloody wound in his stomach, and he was trekking blood everywhere. I hadn't even thought he was close to the blast. I tried to force my body to get up, to run away and regroup, but nothing was happening. He raised the crossbow and took aim at my forehead.

"BITCH!"

He pulled the trigger.

CLANG

The dust had cleared. My eyes widened as a shadow darted in front of me; the attacking kunai landing in the opposite direction it had been aimed in. Kakashi was in front of me for a moment, before he sprinted towards the injured man. He sank his knee into the wound, and I saw the flash of metal as he stabbed the man in the back of the neck, severing the spinal cord. He didn't stop when the man fell, he ran on ahead, towards the men that were struggling to their feet. I winced at the sudden sound of high pitched chirping, and realised that he had summoned the Chidori. The voice in my head piped up again.

_As usual, your useless ass gets saved by someone else._

Kakashi ran a man through with the lightening blade, but I didn't even hear the scream for the rushing noise in my ears.

_Why did you even bother becoming a Shinobi? You can't do anything. What a bloody waste of time._

Kakashi had Iwa by the throat, lightening filled palm held back for the killing strike.

_You were right; he would never want someone as pathetic as you_

Iwa was laughing, mouthing words. The other men had risen, circling the two ninja, crossbows raised. Kakashi stopped.

_Weak._

Iwa performed hand seals, and took the Chidori.

_Hated._

He backed out of the centre of the circle, the others closed in slightly.

_Useless._

Fingers closed around triggers.

_Get the hell up._

And then I was burning, the heat rushed down my limbs in a tingling, biting rush of pain. I suddenly felt weightless, as though I could float away. Everything was so clear; it was as though time stood still. Kunai were just out of their holsters, all 20 aimed at Kakashi. I was on my feet the moment I considered it, and was running towards the ninja. The kunai crept through the air.

I didn't have to note that the world had stopped as I ran past other ninja posed in frozen battle. I reached out for the nearest enemy's kunai and sped into the circle. Kakashi was barely moving, seeming to raise his own knife at an agonisingly slow pace. I circled around him, knocking the knives back towards the shooters. I stopped next to Kakashi and time suddenly sped up again. There was a chorus of screams and thuds as the kunai I sent back towards the enemy hit their target. Half the ninja fell to the ground and didn't move. Kakashi gave me a wide eyed glance for a split second, before pushing me forward and stabbing the person behind me. I weaved around him, using my momentum to kick the cross bow of a nearby assailant into the air. I spun and hit him in the jaw with another kick and knocked him down. Throwing stars from Kakashi's direction whizzed above my head and hit the man coming up behind the one I'd knocked out. Kakashi had flipped backwards to dodge another knife, which I snatched out of the air and hurtled it back into the attacker. Kakashi jumped over me and took out two more ninja. It took a split second to find Iwa, who was backing away quickly. I growled as I dashed towards him. Once more I gathered chakra into my palm, and realised that Kakashi was running along side me, doing the same. At the same time we thrust our hands forward into his chest, and I had a split second to think "this is probably not a good idea" when the attacks hit and merged, and threw the both of us back in a flash of blue light.

* * *

I lay staring up at the sky, panting slightly. I raised my glowing arm above my head and grinned to myself. The Hou-ou was back. Kakashi grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet. When I felt his hand around my bare wrist, I finally realised the absence of the weights. It would seem that I had cut through them with my chakra when I transformed. We stood together for a moment, and that same strange look he had had at he memorial when I held his hand came over Kakashi's face again. I watched him swallow hard, and suddenly felt light headed and nervous.

"Wow." Was that all I could manage?

"Wow." He answered back as we surveyed the damage our joint attack had done.

I tried to think of something to say to him; that moment we had just now…it was almost like he…No, never mind.

"So is it tradition for you to try and destroy every arena in Konoha, or did you just get bored with the exams?" Kakashi commented lightly. All I could manage was an embarrassed grin, feeling oddly proud of myself.

He finally let go of me.

The noises of battle finally rushed back, and once more we were all business. I wasn't even sure if I'd actually imagined his comment, he was now so serious. Kakashi was looking up where the Hokage had been. Instead, there was a large barrier filled with forest and swampland.

"The Geezer…" I murmured, before we started for the roof.

* * *

Anyone who had witnessed the events of the final Chunin Exam would not be able to tell you what happened to turn the tables in the Konoha ninja's favour during battle. Many different ninja have been mentioned for their valiant efforts, though in every account there is the same story. That of the brilliant white flash that moved in the blink of an eye. That had simultaneously blocked 20 attacks at a speed never before seen.

Visiting nations claimed the apparition to be a ghost, or perhaps divine intervention. The latter is the truer of the statements, the intervention of the divine; the White-Nin of Konoha.

**If you lot are horrible to me after this, I will cry. This took so long, and I had strict orders to hurry the hell up – so here you are. Also, I am moving to another country soon, so I don't know when the next update will be. It could be tomorrow (not bloody likely) or in a week, I cannot say for sure. But I promise to return to this, as there is more to come. Hang in there, Maia+Kakashi are definitely going to happen.**


	12. Chapter 12

**So, sorry for the, er, short break, but as I may or not have said before I was busy being important, but now I am back. For now anyway. This is short, and reasonable unedited, but I wanted to get this out now seeing as it has been a month. The next one should come along much sooner, and there will be more Mai/ Kakashi. But enough of this, lets get back to the story.**

**Oh by the way, I highly recommend that Kakashi fans go and watch Shippuden ep 85. Aaaawesome.**

I was crouched on a railing above the funeral. It didn't feel right to go and join the rest of the mourners; it all just made me feel so uncomfortable. It was raining, and the sky was almost black; very fitting weather when you thought about it.

Kakashi, Gai and I had rushed up to the roof where Orochimaru and the Hokage had battled, but there was nothing we could do. By the time we got there, he was already dead and Orochimaru had escaped with his goon squad. We had all been in shock, which now gave way for disappointment. There had been so much I had wanted to ask him, and he had given me permission on my first day back. I always thought he would be around. I should have made the time, but now I will never get answers about the Uchiha massacre, or of what he did to protect me.

I never even thanked him.

I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I didn't notice Kakashi until he spoke.

"Why aren't you at the wake?"

I just about fell of the railing. I didn't even bother to look at him, instead regaining my balance and getting back on to the ground more gracefully.

"Because I shouldn't. What's your excuse?" I answered, brushing myself off.

He raised his eyebrows at me.

"I got distracted on my way."

We started walking.

"Some old lady needing help crossing the road?" I asked sceptically, sure the funeral of the Hokage was of more importance than whatever Kakashi had been doing.

"No. I was at the memorial."

I said nothing; his reason was far better than mine; hiding from the people. I felt so guilty, after everything that had happened I was lucky to be back here at all, let alone generally accepted as one of Konoha's own. I had the Geezer to thank for that.

"The Hokage was a great man. I should have listened to him more."

We continued down the track I had snuck up, which would eventually veer towards the wake.

"Don't dwell on regrets Mai, it'll get you nowhere." He finally broke the silence.

Yeah, I thought, says you. It didn't seem like the right time to alert Kakashi to the hypocrisy of his statement, so I stayed silent. Though…perhaps he was using himself as an example, of what I would become if I followed the same path. He still pained himself over his ghosts, and was weary from the burden of guilt. I looked up at him, pretending to be admiring the forest. He had the usual air of disinterest and detachment about him. What was going on in that head of his?

I didn't have the guts to ask, so I resumed staring at my shoes as we walked.

We remained silent as we joined the rest of Konoha, though we walked close to each other. No tears were shed, the ninja sticking the rules. Stern serious faces gazed up at the photos of the people that were killed in the invasion.

I clenched my jaw and distracted myself.

Ninja don't cry. Kakashi glanced sideways at me, knowing what I was doing. I had cried at Obito's funeral, but as I had grown, I learnt that tears were useless. That person was gone, and no amount of crying or bargaining would bring them back. The only way to honour the dead was to carry on living, to take on each day as it comes.

Ninja live relatively short lives, so we must make the most of it.

Ninja do not cry.

It started to rain, though nobody made a shifted to get shelter. We were all frozen, honouring the fallen. I pulled my headband out of my pocket, and tied it around my forehead. I straightened up, gave Kakashi the briefest of nods, and waited until it was alright for us to move again.

* * *

I pushed off the ground with my hands and flipped back onto my feet. Gai was still recovering from his kick when I sprinted towards him, leapt into the air and kicked him in the chest with both feet. We both crashed to the ground.

"Very good Mai!" He puffed, sounding pleased.

It was back to training now, one week after the funeral. I hadn't realised how powerful I had become until the incident at the exam, being able to fight at full strength after an enormous amount of training was awesome. The weights had gone straight back on, in order to keep up the effectiveness of my speed training, and I was faster now than even Gai.

I was first on my feet, jogging around Gai, high on endorphins.

"Got to get up earlier than that, old man!" I jeered at him, punching my fists in the air and dancing about. My legs were suddenly swept from under me, and I landed face first in the dirt. I pushed myself up, spitting out grass and mud and glared at Gai. He was on his feet, bending down towards me, grinning smugly. I glared at him accusingly.

"Don't be a smart arse." He laughed, before helping me to my feet.

"Yeah, yeah…" I muttered brushing myself off. It was only a "light" training session today, as we were both slightly worn out from all the work that needed doing around the village since the attack. Those Sound and Sand bastards sure made a mess of things, good thing the Sand was coughing up to pay the reparations.

"Mai! Well done today – but our time together, as always, comes to an end! I must leave, but we shall meet again in the not too distant future!"

"Um, tomorrow then?"

"Of course!"

I nodded and bent down to retrieve my scattered shuriken and kunai.

"So what are you up to tonight anyway?"

Gai yanked a deeply implanted katana out of a tree trunk.

"Hot date."

"Yeah? Anyone I know?"

"That charming nurse you brought to the exams."

I slapped myself on the forehead. Of course he was, they were so meant to be. I tossed a scythe over to Gai, who added it to the steadily growing pile of weapons; it had been a good workout today.

"Yourself?"

"Oh, nothing really. I might go for a run, maybe hang out with Adam later…" Gai straightened, and looked down his nose at me.

"So you're still seeing that boy?" I laughed at Gai, he sounded so sniffy, like a disapproving parent.

"Er, yes. Is that not okay?"

"Well, I just thought that maybe you and Kakashi…"

"Yes?" Great, here we go again. He hesitated, seemingly weighing up whether what he said next would earn him a kick in the head.

"You just worked really well together at the exam. And you certainly have chemistry. Why not?"

"Because he has terrible taste in women and therefore can't see what a catch I am." I said sarcastically, gesturing at my muddy clothes and dirty hair. Gai laughed at me, and pulled out a scroll. He lay it on the ground, weaved signs, and the weapons disappeared in a puff of smoke. I'd been hoping he would reassure me, that he would be able to give me some insight as to what Kakashi thought of me. I'd thought there had been something there during the fight, but I'd join Gai in standing on boiling coals for a day before mentioning it to Kakashi.

I continued to pick up the odd throwing star, and realised that there was more to clean up than I first thought.

"Gai, you go ahead, I'll clean up here."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, don't keep your, um, 'hot date' waiting."

He flashed me a grin and a thumbs up.

"Alright Maia, until tomorrow then!" Gai saluted me and like the weapons had, disappeared in a puff of smoke. I stared for a moment at the place he had been standing. I felt some what depressed – what kind of world must it be, if Gai has a date on Friday night, and all I have to look forward to is getting locked out of the apartment.

I pulled my hair out of its ponytail and bent to pick up more scattered stars. I could always pick up some ice-cream on the way home and have that for dinner. Screw veggies. There was a smile on my face immediately at the thought.

I cleaned up the rest of the field fairly smartly and rid myself of the extra weapons with a scroll. I put my shoes back on, which had been discarded early on, did one last scan of the area and then set of for the shopping district.

It was a warm summer's day, perfect weather for training. I should probably go for a run if I'm going to pig out tonight…

I decided to take the long way to the district, running around the outskirts of Konoha. As I raced past, I could see the amount of work that needed to be done on the village, and winced internally at how long it would take. Buildings and barriers alike were crushed from the monstrous snakes Orochimaru's army had summoned, and the wall around Konoha was yet to be properly repaired.

My musings were interrupted suddenly by a shout somewhere in the distance. I skidded to a stop and listened; it hadn't been a shout from the village, nor was it playful or of frustration. I heard what sounded like an explosion, and then of water falling.

I started running, silent and stealthily towards to racket. Could Konoha be under attack again? Certainly we were seriously weakened at the moment, and it would be ideal for competing villages to attack us…but surely there would be more of an uproar if that was true…

I was headed towards one of the rivers that flowed past the village. From memory, I knew that the bridge that crossed the river was one of the paths directly into the village. Whatever waited at the end of my short journey would not be good.

I jumped from the path into the trees for cover, and continued to jump from branch to branch until the river came into view.

What I saw stopped me short, and I nearly lost my footing on the branch. I didn't even think about what I did next. The moment I saw him I was already throwing myself into the air, towards the river.

Kakashi was falling to his knees, and I arrived before he hit the water, pulling his arm over my shoulders and straightening. Asuma and Kurenai were somewhere behind me, standing still with their eyes shut. I didn't even have to ask what had happened; I had seen it a dozen times before. I took a deep breath and turned towards Itachi.

"Maia. I had heard that you'd returned." Itachi murmured tonelessly.

Red met Green, before the Sharingan melted away our surroundings.

* * *

"What the _fuck _are you doing here?" I yelled as soon as the Genjutsu was cast.

"Hello yourself." Came the cool reply.

This wasn't an attack. We had often communicated this way after Itachi perfected the alternate realm jutsu. We could have an entire conversation here, and when it was released, no more than a few seconds had passed in the normal world. It was the same jutsu that had been used on Kakashi, though I doubted that they had got much talking done.

"Why are you here?" I demanded again. He said nothing, surveying me calmly. I realised that I was posed to attack, and knew the futility of it here, so straightened and tried to hold onto my temper.

"You've grown up." Was all he said.

"Yeah so I've heard."

He still wasn't in the least bit perturbed by the fact that I was absolutely furious to see him.

"It's been what – 3 years?"

I didn't bother with an answer, he would know right down to the day. He tried again, walking towards me.

"Why so hostile?"

"Well. Let's have a think,' I said sarcastically. "You attacked my friends, undoubtedly tortured one of them, god knows if he will ever regain consciousness. How's that for a start?"

He raised his eyebrows at me.

"You have friends?"

I nodded sharply. It wasn't a gibe. I had had very few as a kid; I was such a brat. Itachi was genuinely surprised that I had fit back in so quickly.

"That's good, Mai."

I relaxed a little more. As angry as I was with him, we had been friends once, and I knew that he wouldn't hurt me. Though he would be in danger of a broken nose if he came any closer.

"Why are you here Itachi?" I asked yet again, though softer now. I didn't think he was going to answer anytime soon, the way he was looking at me. But then he shrugged slightly, and started to talk.

"I had heard about the death of the Hokage. I wanted to make sure that the change in power didn't affect the deal I made with him in regards to Sasuke's welfare."

That was actually a pretty decent excuse. I shifted uncertainly.

"And you just thought you'd take out a few Shinobi while you were here?"

"They followed us. I had no intention of fighting anyone."

I bit my lip, annoyed again.

"Itachi,' I started, 'It took a lot on the Hokage's behalf for me to be accepted back. And now, how it will look with you showing up just over a month after I do - do you seriously have no sense? I get that you were worried for Sasuke, but you being here is putting a lot of people at risk."

"I understand."

He took a step back. Underneath my anger at Itachi, and my worry for Kakashi, I felt guilty. Reprimanding someone who had already given up so much for the village.

"Itachi – I,"

"Forget it Mai. You're right. We're just leaving."

"Wait-!"

The genjutsu was released, and I had to blink my eyes a few times. Itachi continued the sentence he had been speaking before he cast the jutsu.

"- I would love to catch up, but our business here is complete."

He moved to walk away, when I realised that Kakashi was still conscious.

"You're after Sasuke?" He muttered. I tightened my grip on him, stunned that he was still able to talk after what he'd been through moments before. Itachi hesitated before turning back.

"No,' he said, 'we are after the fourth Hokage's legacy."

What? Akatski were after Naruto. Rather, they were after the fox?

"You're after the nine-tails." Kakashi said. I was surprised that he reached the same conclusion as I so quickly.

"I know you aren't the only two,' he continued, 'you work for a group, the Akatsuki, right?"

He had Itachi's full attention now, and the ninja behind us started at the name. Itachi's red eyes narrowed.

"Kisame!' he said, and the man behind him stood at attention, 'change of plan. We're taking Kakashi with us. Make the others disappear."

I took a step back, still holding onto Kakashi. I'd never fight them off; Asuma and Kurenai couldn't open their eyes, and Kakashi was in no state to fight. I snarled at Itachi, who remained motionless and apparently indifferent.

Kisame rushed towards us, dragging an enormous wrapped up weapon behind him. I concentrated more Chakra to my feet, preparing to get out of the way and started calling on the Hou-ou.

Kisame was on us, I could count many rows of pointy, shark like teeth. He swung his weapon forward-,

"- Leaf Spinning Wheel!"

I jumped at the shout, and ducked as a shadow flew over us, and threw Kisame back with a splash. There stood Gai, posed to attack again. I breathed a sigh of relief and glanced in Itachi's direction. He gave me the barest of nods before focusing back on the eccentric ninja before him.

"Who're you?" Snarled Kisame.

"The Leaf's proud beast!-,"

"-Oh my god" I muttered, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Maito Gai!"

Kisame smirked at him, clearly thinking the Nin was insane.

"That's an interesting outfit; you must be an exotic beast to say the least-,"

"- don't underestimate him Kisame." Itachi ordered, watching carefully.

Suddenly the weight on my shoulder doubled, and Kakashi let out a groan. He'd passed out.

"Shit – Gai, I need to get him to a hospital, can you manage this from here?"

"Go." Was all Gai said, measuring the other two up.

I immediately used the White Chakra I had been building up, and disappeared in a streak of white.

* * *

I had summoned a medic on my way back to Kakashi's apartment. It was much closer than the hospital, and I need to treat him right away. There was nothing I could do for his mental state now, but I could heal some of his wounds immediately. Two medics were waiting for me outside the door.

We carried him and put him straight into his bed. I explained what had happened while I checked for flesh wounds, healing them as I went.

Once the medics went to work, I rose to return to the others, to try and lend a hand. But I ran into them just as I left.

Kurenai, Asuma, Gai and I stood and sat around Kakashi's bed. His physical wounds were healed, yet he still hadn't woken up. The medic Nin had left to get transportation for Kakashi to the hospital.

My stomach was churning, and I was starting to panic. What exactly had happened in the alternate dimension? To put Kakashi in such a state was unheard of, yet here he lay…

I didn't realise how tensed up I was until Gai lay his hand on my shoulder. I unclenched my jaw and my fists, and attempted to relax, but I felt as though I was going to hyperventilate.

"Mai. Calm down. Why was Itachi back in the village – was he after you? Or Sasuke?"

I shook my head, trying to take deep breaths, before saying hollowly.

"Naruto."

Gai looked up sharply at Asuma.

"What?"

"They were after the nine-tails. Does any one know where Naruto is now?"

Gai nodded.

"He's away with Jiraya, searching for Tsunade. He will be fine for now, but we need to warn them what's coming."

"Let's hope they find her, the state things are in…"

"Sssh!"

The door creaked open, and I saw Sasuke standing in the doorway. He ventured in the room slowly, first looking alarmed at the state I was in, before the questions started.

"Why's Kakashi sleeping? And why are all you Jonin gathered around where he's resting?"

I scrambled to think of an excuse, when -,

"-Hey is it true the Uchiha Itachi was in the village? And now he's chasing Naruto?"

Some ninja appeared at the door.

Gai clapped his hand to his forehead.

"Idiot." I spat.

Sasuke stood there frozen for a moment, before charging back through the entrance and down the corridor.

Gai was on his feet immediately.

"I can get him." I said, standing also. I was desperate to get out of this room.

"No." Gai cut me off. "You are in no state to fight, and you don't know what he'll do if he finds out about your previous relationship with Itachi. I'll get him."

I sunk back into my seat, dejected. Gai patted me on the shoulder before racing out of the door after Sasuke.

* * *

The medics returned shortly after with a transportation scroll and took Kakashi to the Intensive Care unit. Asuma went with them; I sat staring at the bed.

"Mai."

God Itachi. Why did you go over board? What did he have against Kakashi? Maybe he thought that he didn't do enough to help me when I was attacked by the ANBU on the night of the massacre. Maybe this was some twisted sort of revenge.

"Maia."

I jumped and looking around; Kurenai was still in the room.

"Do you want to stay at mine? You shouldn't be alone after all that."

I laughed shakily, and got up shaking my head.

"I didn't even fight those too. I'm fine, I don't know why everyone-,"

"You know exactly why we're worried."

I shrugged and walked over to the window.

"Really. I'm fine. I think I'll go over to the hospital in case he wakes up. Or any of the nurses make a murder attempt." I attempted a smile. "Thanks though."

I didn't wait for Kurenai to reply; instead I opened the window, jumped up onto the roof and ran towards the hospital.

* * *

I jerked awake at the knock, and saw Gai in the hospital room doorway.

"Did you catch up to Sasuke?"

"Yeah, but I was too late. He's alive, but in the same state as Kakashi. Naruto and Jiraya are ok, and have been informed on what has happened. They've resumed their search for Tsunade, and they have some promising leads."

I chewed the side of my cheek. No matter how much Gai sugar-coated this, we were still sitting ducks.

"What makes them think Tsunade will return? She fled the village years ago." I sulked glancing at Kakashi's still frame.

"Well. You did, why not her?"

Gai grinned at me and gave me the thumbs up. He wasn't going to let me mope about. I smiled at him gently, before curling back up in the arm chair.

He was right, and I hoped for all our sakes that Naruto was successful in his mission.


	13. Chapter 13

I stood and stretched, cracking my back. Four days sleeping in a hospital issue armchair was not a great way to go, but the nurses had been less than welcoming of my presence at Kakashi's bedside. I hadn't intended to stay here this long.

Well, I had, but I hadn't considered my presence a necessity. When I caught a medic attempting to look under Kakashi's mask, I realised that I had to stay and babysit. Purely as a friend.

There had been news from Jiraya; they had found Tsunade, and were working on bringing her back to the village. Though the message didn't say, it seemed that he and Naruto were having quite a tough time of it.

Kakashi had had many visitors. The usual Jonin, such as Gai and Asuma, though their visits were more often a break for me to go back to my apartment to shower and change while they kept watch. There had been many tearful girls that showed up at his room, bringing flowers and well wishes. When the man from the ramen shop showed up crying, I was slightly disturbed.

Some of the girls had tried to insist that I leave the room while they tried to wake Kakashi from his coma. That only gave me more incentive to stay and guard him from anything terribly mortifying.

All of them asked to look at his face, as if I were the best one to give permission. I'm not really sure why I always said no, but I figured he covered it up for a reason. Some tried to pay me off, one such attempt ended well for me.

"_Not even just below the nose? I won't tell anyone what I saw!" The distressed woman had pleaded, grabbing my hands._

"_I said no!"_

"_But- but I can pay you!" The woman scrambled around in her purse, and pulled out a wad of cash. She had certainly come prepared._

"_No. It's not like it's that interesting anyway."_

_Her eyes had grown large._

"_Really? You've seen it?"_

_I hadn't but that's when I got the idea._

"_Weeeell, I could tell you – for a fee."_

_She had shoved the notes in my hands and sat down, leaning forwards towards me eagerly._

"_Um…well, he actually has no teeth, and he's embarrassed to show the world."_

"_Did they get knocked out during the War?"_

_The woman didn't seem to care about his apparent toothlessness; her eyes were shining at the thought of it being the result of something heroic._

"_No, his personal hygiene is way below par. They rotted out of his head, and since there were no teeth to clean, Kakashi stopped altogether – and then his tongue started to rot too."_

_She had left quickly after that._

I grinned at the memory, and I had repeated the routine several times and became more and more creative with each story. The money went into the Konoha restoration fund; having these fanatics money just gave me the creeps.

"Hey Mai. Break time." Kurenai wandered through the door. I had informed her on the first day of what had been going on, and she visited regularly to hold down the fort.

"Thank god, I'm starved."

"Couldn't the nurses bring you something?"

I laughed. The women Kakashi had dated had heard about his admittance, and how I was staying in his room. They put a food ban on his room to try and flush me out. Luckily Itachi hadn't mauled all my friends.

"I'll be back in about an hour, k?"

Kurenai nodded and took my seat. I made to leave via the door like a normal person, but nearly ran into one of the more vengeful nurses.

"Actually, the window will suffice." I grinned at Kurenai as I raced past her and threw myself over the sill into the street.

I headed straight towards my apartment, running past the shops and stalls. I needed to shower and change my clothes. I should probably grab a few scrolls to study so I don't get bored…

"Maia?"

I looked around, not planning to stop, until I saw Adam waving from across the street. I tripped over in my surprise, but righted myself before I face-planted. He walked over to me casually, grinning at me.

"Adam! Hi!" I was puffing slightly, and my mind was reeling for something intelligent to say.

"Hey Mai, how have you been? I haven't seen you around in a while." He smiled again, totally at ease. There had been a few phone calls that I may have missed – and ignored – but with everything that had gone on in the last few weeks, there were many people I'd lost contact with.

"I've been good! I mean, in and out of hospital between training, so I've been really busy, sorry if I, um, missed your calls or something."

He grinned again and shook his head.

"Don't worry about it."

"So, what have you been up to?"

My brain was screaming at me to wrap this up; I didn't have time to make awkward conversation.

"Mmm same as you really; I've had quite a bit of damage control to do with ANBU, and a fair few missions prior to the exam fiasco."

"Oh yup."

"Anyway, we should catch up, it's been like, what, a month?"

"Yeah."

"Well when are you free."

I bit my lip, mentally kicking myself for agreeing when I was supposed to be looking after Kakashi.

"Um. Well-,"

"I'm a bit busy today, how about tomorrow?"

"Ok."

Shit, good one Mai.

"Alright, well do you want to meet around midday outside the shopping district? We can get lunch or something."

"Sounds great. Well, I'll see you then, gotta go!" I smiled quickly and shot off down the street again. That was stupid.

"Mai, what are you thinking?" I muttered angrily to myself. What if Kakashi wakes up and you're off with some guy? I couldn't pull myself out of it now; I'd have to ask Kurenai or someone to keep an eye on the invalid…

"Shit…" I muttered. Well, no time to fret about this now, I had already wasted precious time talking with Adam.

I shot off down the street, cursing myself under my breath.

* * *

"So you're still seeing that guy?" Kurenai did not look impressed. I asked her to be at the hospital for a few hours today so I could go out and meet Adam.

"Um, I guess so. Why not? Are you sure you're ok to be here?" I didn't want to put her out; surely she had more important things to do than fend off Kakashi's many prowlers.

"That's the least of my worries. I'm more concerned about this apparent relationship you have."

"Why?"

"Well, where was this Adam guy when you were in hospital? Or when you were attacked at the Chunin games? He is in ANBU – surely he would have been near-by. He never even visited you when you were beaten up-,"

"Kurenai. I hardly have a relationship with him. I'll just meet him for a coffee or whatever and then rid myself of him as soon as I can."

She certainly didn't look happy about the arrangement. Why was everyone so against the guy all of a sudden? Gai certainly didn't approve, though I couldn't think of anything that put him in a bad light. She eventually shrugged and waved me away, sitting in the armchair that I so often occupied.

"Thanks Kurenai, I won't be long."

"Uh-huh."

She was reaching for the stack of scrolls I had left in the room to cure boredom. I walked towards the door, taking one last look in Kakashi's direction to make sure he hadn't woken up.

He wasn't.

I sighed, blew my hair out of my eyes and left.

* * *

I walked slowly to the shopping district, partially out of reluctance to see Adam, but also from thinking so hard about what had happened. Back at the river, Itachi had said that the Akasuki were after the nine-tails, after Naruto. That fact had niggled at me over the last few days. Minato's boy.

The son of the man who took me in, off the streets and raised me for several years…

I would have to do something about this situation eventually, I owed it to Minato. Maybe when Konoha got a new Hokage I could go and talk to them about the boy's protection…

I didn't even realise where I was until I was right in the middle of the shopping area. I backtracked quickly to the entrance gate, finding Adam leaning against it. There was a small group of people around him, and as I got closer I realised that the majority of the them were women.

"Uh, hi Adam."

He looked up immediately, and gave me a dazzling smile. The women scowled slightly as he walked past, pretending not to know them. He slung his arm over my shoulders as if it were the natural thing to do and wheeled me away, leaping immediately into conversation. In the back of my mind I noted that he only did so to distract me from his many admirers and halt any questions.

"So what have you been up to today?" He asked finally, after updating me on the many significant and important events of life over the last few weeks.

"I've been spending most of my time at the hospital-,"

"You're a medic, right."

What? Of course not. I scowled inwardly at his lacking memory. I was sure one of the first things I mentioned was my meagre healing skills, a result of fleeing the village half way through my training.

"No, a friend is in there. I'm just there for, um, moral support." I explained.

His arm was still clamped around me, though it felt more possessive than protective. I pretended to look in a shop window, moving away enough to make shrugging off his arm look purely accidental.

My freedom was short lived however, when he too wandered over and wrapped his arm round my waist.

"Um, so did you want to go get a coffee or something? I have to be back at the hospital in an hour or so…"

"Yeah sure, but why do you have to hurry back."

"For my friend."

My 'friend' who wouldn't miss my presence as he was in a coma. It was stupid really, being too preoccupied with rushing back to someone who would never know that I had left and was out on a date. Who wouldn't even care that I was on a date. I told myself to relax, but couldn't ignore the slight creepy feeling I got when Adam touched me.

We eventually made it to a café; I found seats while Adam ordered.

"So,' he said upon his return, 'who is this person that's tearing you away from me?"

"You remember Hatake Kakashi? We had a run in with Uchiha Itachi several days ago and he came back a little worse for wear…"

Adam looked at me thoughtfully and leaned back in his chair.

"I heard about that. Didn't know you were involved though. What was it like, seeing Itachi again?"

I tried to think of what would be an appropriate answer, considering the truth behind Itachi's actions at the massacre were top secret.

"Oh, terrifying,' I lied, 'you could feel the blood lust from miles away. Obviously he tried to kill me, thank god Gai showed up when he did."

He seemed to quite enjoy the Damsel in distress routine, but he became serious quickly.

"ANBU were informed about it all immediately, and we were sent to try to track Uchiha down. Naturally we were told about Hatake, him being an ex-ANBU captain and all. I though he was in a coma?"

He was looking at me suspiciously, clearly wondering why I had to hurry back to him.

"Oh. Yeah."

"So he won't miss you. Why don't you stay out a little longer?"

He was holding one of my hands over the table, making it quite hard to drink my coffee with my left hand. I scrambled for an excuse to leave.

"We…are….waiting for Tsunade to return, and I'm the only one that knows in detail what Itachi did to him, so I need to be around to guide the doctors as they heal Kakashi."

Lies, lies, lies.

Strangely enough, something like relief passed over Adams features.

"Whew, so I've got nothing to worry about then?"

Worry about? Was he that concerned about Kakashi's welfare? My surprise and confusion must have been apparent.

"About there being something going on between you two?"

"Oh! No, no, just friends."

"Ha-ha, I know, it's a ridiculous thought."

"Yes. Ridiculous."

I was ready to pour my coffee on him.

"On another note entirely, I've been assigned to hunt down Orochimaru and his followers. It's quite a dangerous job, and the other men in my team and I have been given this kind of hero status. It's quite embarrassing really, the way some people are carrying on…"

I let him ramble on about himself, trying to remember why I agreed to come out with him in the first place. My mind began to wander back to the Akasuki. Yes, I would talk to the new Hokage about Naruto…But it wasn't enough. I needed to help out more, not only after all that Minato did for me, but also what the village has done. Taking me back after everything…if a group like Akasuki got hold of the power of the nine-tails, it would surely be used to destroy, and Konoha would undoubtedly be high up on the list for that…

"Maia?"

"Oh yes very dangerous. I could never do that." I answered flatly, guessing at a correct response.

"Well, when you're trained like me, it's a walk in the park, but…"

Off he went again, and just as I was contemplating shoving my fork into my eye to make it all end, a strong hand planted itself on my shoulder. I looked up, and saw Gai staring back at me.

"Maia! I came to see why you were late to our training session. I thought you would be up to something like this!"

I blinked. Confused. Gai had postponed our sessions while I was looking after Kakashi. I was about to remind him when he interrupted me again.

"A date is not an excuse. I demand that you come with me right now."

"Hey – wait a sec-," Adam started, looking annoyed.

"Time waits for no one! And the longer we delay, the faster the summer of youth flits by and we will venture deeper into the aging darkness of winter!"

I fought to keep a straight face, and Adam gazed up at Gai completely bewildered.

"Come, Mai!"

He suddenly grabbed my hand and jerked me to my feet. In one swift motion he ducked, and swung me over his shoulder. I screamed when he did so, and started to laugh.

"S-sorry, Adam, but d-duty c-calls." I choked out. Gai started to march out of the café, leaving many shocked patrons in his wake.

"U-um, right Mai, well, we should do this another time."

I barely heard him through my bursts of laughter, choosing to wave at him instead.

Gai didn't put me down even after we got outside. People on the street looked either worried or amused at the sight of us, and we got several wolf whistles as we went.

"Sorry Maia, but you looked so bored I took pity on you."

"Thanks Gai. Uh, this is really gallant of you, but could you put me down now?"

He stopped abruptly and did as I asked. We resumed walking towards the hospital.

"What were you doing with him anyway?" Gai asked. I sighed and rubbed my forehead.

"I really don't know how I get into those sorts of situations."

"Hmm."

Gai didn't look pleased, and for a moment I thought he was mad with me.

"Er – sorry?" I ventured, not entirely sure why I was apologising. He glanced at me quickly, looking surprised.

"What?"

"Aren't you mad?"

Gai laughed at me, and threw his arm over my shoulders. This was nicer though, it was friendly, instead of lecherous.

"No! Why waste time on anger? But I don't approve of that guy."

"Why's that?"

Gai suddenly looked serious, and pressed his lips together, clearly wrestling over whether he should tell me his reasons.

"Well…he's not very nice." He nodded, seemingly pleased with his response.

I rolled my eyes at him.

"Good conversation." I muttered sarcastically. Gai winced and tried again.

"He's…He just is known for seeing a few women… at once."

"Oh."

It wasn't all that surprising really, but the creepy feeling was back again.

"I'm sorry Maia." Gai was looking at me sadly, clearly thinking he had upset me. I laughed and shook my head.

"Jeez, I wasn't into him at all. I'm really not that bothered…well, slightly repulsed anyway."

Gai looked relieved.

"Hey, could we just swing by my place before we go to the hospital? I need to get some stuff." I asked as we walked down my street.

"Yeah sure."

I left Gai outside my building while I ran up the stairs. He had reminded me about training, and though I couldn't exactly practise Taijutsu in a hospital, I could still work on my Ninjutsu. I grabbed several blank scrolls to work on. It was about time for a new jutsu anyway.

* * *

"Piece of useless…crappy ninja arts…rather be a bloody florist than this…" I was glaring wearily at my work on the scroll. The jutsu was harder to create than I had thought, partially as it was a joint seal between a weapon and the user. And it was being more complicated than I needed it to be. I checked the time, and saw that it was 3:30 in the morning. I groaned and stretched in the armchair, knocking one of many scrolls onto the floor. My back clicked loudly before I hunched back over, rubbing my eyes.

Initially I had stayed up late to fend off the sneakier of girls trying to see Kakashi, and decided to study to try to pass the time. When I realised that no more were coming, I found I couldn't sleep and gave up at around 1 in the morning. I yawned loudly and checked on Kakashi again, to make sure he was still coma-d.

As I stood over him, it occurred to me how easy it would be for me to take a peak right now. There was no one around to stop me, no one would ever know, and I could satisfy my curiosity.

My hands didn't move from my side. I knew I'd never sneak a look; he kept his face covered for a reason. Imagine if he woke up just as I was trying to. What if he had been awake this entire time and was testing me. I took a step back and observed him with suspicion.

I really should go to sleep.

I sighed and shuffled back to my chair. I pulled the scrolls back onto my lap and started work once more.

* * *

"Hey! Kakashi's girlfriend! I haven't seen you in ages!"

I cracked an eye open, to yell at who ever was yelling at me so early in the morning. Naruto grinned back at me. I jerked up from my slumped position and looked around groggily. There was a blonde woman standing next to the bed, looking at me curiously, and –

Kakashi was awake. I blinked at him slowly, my sluggish brain trying to figure out what the hell was going on. I cleared my throat and turned back to Naruto.

"I'm not his-,"

"- Sumiko Maia I take it?" The blonde woman spoke sharply, waking me up instantly.

"Er…yes?" I stood up, causing my work to fall to the floor in a heap. I cursed, looking at the mess around me. I suddenly clicked as to who I was standing before.

"Ms Hokage. Nice to meet you." I bowed slightly and waited to see what she wanted. However, her interest in me had been brief, and now she turned to Kakashi.

"I expected better of you Hatake; being beaten by a couple of thugs."

He bowed his head, and I knew better than to interrupt. Uchiha Itachi was hardly a 'thug'.

"I'll leave the two of you to it. I have work to do; however, I expect to see you Sumiko, in my office this evening. I'd like a word."

How could I be in trouble already?

"Yessir."

She walked swiftly out of the room, Naruto tailing behind her. I turned towards Kakashi.

"Well, hello."

"Hi."

I suddenly felt awkward, did he realise that I'd been here for so long? He must think I've joined the stalker squad…

"What's all this?"

He was looking at the vast array of flowers and cards scattered around the room. I wandered over to his bed and sat on the corner.

"You had the entire female population in a panic. They were fighting to get in here. What if you died without them seeing your face?"

"My face?" Kakashi sounded amazed that anyone would care so much.

"Mm yes. Don't worry, I didn't let anyone look. But I did have to give them something to make them go away…"

"Oh?" Kakashi suddenly sounded wary.

"I just told them what you looked like under the mask."

"You did?"

He studied me carefully, clearly thinking that I had had a look.

"Yeah, I told them your teeth rotted out of your head, and that you have halitosis. Oh, and I told one girl that you were severally pock-marked and another that-,"

He covered his eyes with a hand and groaned. I grinned at him, proud of myself.

"I'll never get another date again."

My stomach suddenly burned with anger and disappointment. That's all he had to say after…after everything? I clenched my teeth together and stood to leave.

"Well, I'll leave you to mourn your many unrecognised conquests then."

He grabbed my wrist before I could stomp off.

"Mai, I'm kidding."

He pulled me back towards him, so I was sitting on the bed again.

"You look tired, have you slept at all?"

"Yes."

Not really.

"You're lying."

"Well you had the only bed, and together we have pissed off enough nurses for their behaviour to be less than hospitable towards me."

He nodded in agreement.

"Well you can share mine."

He moved over and lay back down. I froze.

"What!"

"We've slept together before; it's not a big deal-,"

I moaned and covered my face, mortified to feel my cheeks burning. I could hear him chuckling quietly.

"Mai; calm down."

I took my hands away and glared at him. I could tell that behind the mask he was grinning at me.

"Fine." I said, sticking my chin out. I lay down next to him, careful to elbow him in the ribs while getting comfortable.

"You're such an idiot." I mumbled, using his outstretched arm like a pillow.

While the gesture was nice, there was no way I would ever fall asleep this close to him. Sure we had shared a bed before, but that had been a double. We hadn't touched all night until, well, I tried to feel him up in the morning. But this was a single bed, there was no modesty here, we were completely pressed against one another. I listened to him breathe, becoming more and more relaxed…

* * *

Kakashi lay there, heart racing. He had no idea how he had managed it, but once more Maia was at his side. He still had a smile on his face from the way she reacted when he'd said they had slept together before. It was obvious the conclusion she had leapt to. He listened as her breathing evened out; she had finally fallen asleep. Kakashi was anything but tired. He had slept for a week, and now with her practically intertwined with him; he had never felt more awake.

He lay completely still so as not to wake her. She had obviously been at his bedside for sometime, surely that wasn't something that just friends did. He was willing to bet that Asuma hadn't sat here for days on end. He looked down at her. She looked oddly peaceful, no hint of defiance or frustration on her face.

Kakashi had just started to think how awkward it would be it Asuma or Gai walked in right about now, when there was a knock at the door.

"Hey, Mai-,"

It was neither of Kakashi's friends, but the man that Maia had introduced to him a while ago, the ANBU kid. Adam something.

"Oh. Hi." Adam said, looking between Kakashi and Mai with narrowed eyes.

"Hello." Kakashi said pleasantly, disguising his irritation. He gently shook the sleeping girl.

"Mai,' he murmured, 'wake up."

He received another jab in the ribs before she opened her eyes.

"Mai." Adam repeated stiffly.

She looked confused for a moment, before sitting up with the loveliest smile on her face. Even Adam's annoyance disappeared when she looked at him.

"Oh hi, I'll be outside in a minute."

He nodded and shot Kakashi a quick warning look before leaving. She turned back to Kakashi, running a hand through her hair, smile fading. He clenched his jaw, trying to calm the sudden anger he felt towards her boyfriend. Mai looked down at him, worry flickering over her face, before swinging her legs off the bed.

"Sorry, I didn't know that he was going to show up. I can come back tonight if you want?"

He barely heard her. That smile disappeared the minute Adam left the room.

"Kakashi?"

"Hm?"

"Should I come back tonight?"

"No, I'm going to get out of here before then. I'm sure you have things to catch up on, and doesn't the Hokage want to see you?"

He berated himself inwardly, he should have just said-,

"Oh. Alright, well…be careful and don't hurt yourself." She gave him a small smile, before getting off the bed all together and gathering up the scrolls on the floor. She stopped on her way out at the foot of his bed, hesitating. Then, she walked back towards him, bent down and kissed him on the cheek.

"I'm glad you're okay."

And after another smile, she was gone.

* * *

I let out a long breath after I had left the room. Adam was waiting further along the corridor. I hurried to meet him, and then accidentally on purpose beat him over the head with one of the scrolls.


	14. Chapter 14

"Kakashi! I had heard rumours that you were well!"

Kakashi, who had just opened the hospital window to make his escape, turned calmly back towards the door. Gai was leaning against the door frame, grinning madly.

"Leaving so soon?"

"I've been here long over a week – and with Mai gone, it's only a matter of time until one of the nurses tries to smother me with a pillow." Kakashi sat down on the sill, ready to leave at any time.

"Well it's your fault for lazing around in bed." Gai lectured, walking into the centre of the room and folding his arms over his chest.

"I was in a coma-,"

"I don't want to hear it! You have kept Maia from her training for far too long!"

Kakashi scratched the back of his head, frowning slightly. When had he done that? Gai noticed the confused look on his friends face and continued.

"She hardly left your side! Convinced that you would come to harm if she wasn't around! She hasn't trained in over a week; I'm going to find her the minute I'm done here."

"She left pretty quickly when that ANBU guy showed up." Kakashi said calmly, gazing out the window.

"Ah! That scoundrel! I don't believe she's still with him! Just last night he was out fraternising with some other woman; I would have wrung his neck if I wasn't positive that Maia would kill me for it…"

Kakashi look back quickly at Gai.

"He's cheating on Mai?"

"Yes indeed. I told her this days ago. I'm all for taking advantage of the blessings of youthfulness, but when it comes to Mai this is just down right despicable!"

"They obviously worked it out, they seemed perfectly happy when I saw him." Kakashi failed to keep the bitter note out of his voice.

"Jealous?" Gai asked, almost hopefully.

"No."

"Heartbroken?"

"Gai, shut up."

Kakashi was silent for a moment. He had known she had been at his bedside for the entire week. He frowned slightly, wondering why she would stay so long if she was clearly still with this Adam person. Gai rambled away in the background, completely unaware that Kakashi was no longer listening. He had to at least try to talk some sense into her…purely out of concern as a friend. It was impossible to catch her in a spare moment; she was always training or being ambushed by her idiot boyfriend…

"Gai,' he suddenly interjected, 'I will resume Mai's training from here."

Gai's eyebrows shot up.

"What?"

"I'll do it. You've trained her well enough in Taijutsu, and I noticed that she is working on a new jutsu; there were scrolls everywhere when I woke up…I'll work on her Ninjutsu with her, I had always intended to do so…" He trailed off, staring into space.

Gai's gleeful grin went largely unnoticed by the copy-nin, who was in the process of thinking up a game plan.

"And this offer is purely a friendly one, I bet -?"

"- tell her to meet me at the training grounds the day after next. I'll talk to you later." Kakashi stepped up onto the sill, and turned back to jump up onto the hospital roof.

Gai stood still for a moment, excitement welling up inside him. So Kakashi would take over Mai's lessons. His grin grew even wider. Just wait until Asuma heard about this…

* * *

fI took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

"Come in!" came the sharp reply.

I opened the door to the Hokage's office, revealing the angry woman standing behind the desk, and the two cowering Shinobi before her.

"– And don't let it happen again!' Tsunade barked at the Nin before her, 'now get out of my sight before I change my mind!"

Great, so she was in a foul mood. I had something to ask of her, and an angry Hokage was not a good place to start.

The two men dashed from the room, nearly knocking me clean off my feet in their fear inspired hurry. I stared after them wide-eyed, dreading what the Hokage was going to do to me.

"Shut the door and sit down Maia."

I pushed the door shut with my foot, watching the stressed woman warily. I walked to stand where the men had been previously, as she took a shuddering breath and sat down.

"Uh, you wanted to see me?"

Tsunade rummaged around her desk, lifting piles of paper and files, muttering to herself.

"Yes, yes. Have a seat Sumiko while I…Ah here it is."

She pulled a rather thick file from beneath a heap of scrolls and a cup of coffee and opened it. I sat down in front of her, and peered at the files contents interestedly. My photo lay atop the heap of paper inside – Ah, my record. She flicked through the information quickly, and I watched records of my school marks and achievements, mission reports, notes from the Chunin Exams and my promotion to Jonin flash by, until she finally reached another folder hidden within. It was slim, and had several seals covering it.

The Hokage performed hand signs, before pressing her hand to the second folder. The seal disappeared in a puff of smoke, and the file opened. This time there was a photo of Itachi. Tsunade studied it for a moment, before looking up at me.

"As I am sure you are well aware,' she began, 'the events surrounding the Uchiha massacre are absolutely confidential. You are not to discuss what happened during the execution, nor the events following. You will keep to the story that Itachi kidnapped you after he had finished -,"

"Yes I know all this; you don't need to repeat it." I interrupted, annoyed.

"I thought I would remind you, that just because there has been a change in power, it does not mean that promises and agreements with the previous Hokage become void."

I cleared my throat.

"I choose to keep this a secret out of loyalty to Itachi, not Konoha."

We were silent for a moment, sizing each other up. The Hokage spoke first.

"And that's why he returned to the Village? To make sure you had kept your promise?"

"No. To make sure that the powers that be would remember theirs; to protect Sasuke."

She nodded.

"As I said before, the change in Hokage does not nullify any previous or continuing arrangements."

She looked back down at my file, and continued to flick through the notes on Itachi and I. She was silent for a long time, but just as I was about to ask to leave, she spoke.

"Itachi's group; Akatsuki. You are aware of their aim?"

I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant.

"I know they are after the nine-tails."

"All of the Jinchuuriki. You are in possession of a Hou-ou spirit. You need to be on guard."

I stood, smirking at her.

"It's not the same thing."

"The Akatsuki don't know that, and you can't be sure that they won't decide to add you to their…collection, too"

"Itachi wouldn't let them near me."

"Uchiha Itachi murdered his clan, his _family,_ on orders. Do you really believe that you would escape that fate should Akasuki command him to come after you?"

I clenched my jaw tight, furious at the remark. Tsunade seemed to sense my anger. She gave me one last cursory glance before turning back to the strewn papers on her desk. She sealed my file, put it in a drawer and resumed work on something else. However, I forced myself to remain silent, I still had a request to make, and angry remarks would get me nowhere.

"Just be prepared. You may leave."

"Lord Hokage, I have a request."

She looked back up at me, studying me carefully. I met her gaze coolly.

"As you probably saw in my file, I began training as a medic before I left the village. I have retained the skills I learnt, and while they are passable, my training is incomplete. Seeing as that area is your specialty I would like to-,"

"You want me to train you?" She looked slightly suspicious.

I nodded. She put down her pen and considered me.

"I know you have large supplies of chakra, and good control. You would be an asset to team missions, but you are also a valuable Ninja."

"All I'm asking is a few sessions to brush up my skills. I don't want to solely be a medic, but yes, having reliable healing skills would be asset."

She seemed to think it over for a moment.

"Fine. Be at the hospital at 5 tomorrow morning."

She returned to her work, silently dismissing me. I bowed jerkily, thanking the heavens that she didn't ask about my sudden interest in medicine, before leaving the room swiftly.

* * *

I groaned when I rolled off the bed and onto the wooden floors, crawling into the bathroom. It had been a few days since my first training session with Tsunade, and while I had done fairly well, it had been an extremely long day. I didn't get out of the hospital until 11pm, after falling asleep halfway through healing a bird's wing and nearly crushing it. I had run into Gai on my way home, which had been to visit Kakashi at the hospital, and learned that the copy-nin had escaped.

"There is no excuse Mai! Training shall resume!" He had cried cheerfully, before tearing off down one of the streets.

I felt around blindly for the light-switch, wincing at the brightness when I found it. I had just enough time for a shower and breakfast on the run before training started. Gai always wanted to start nice and early, and while a 7am wake up call was welcome after yesterday, I'd still rather have slept until midday. On top of training, I was supposed to be back at the hospital in the evening. Gai would not be happy about cutting back on training, but Tsunade was set on improving my skills.

I sat in the shower, and fell asleep, only waking when the hot water ran out and switched to freezing.

I barely bothered to look at the clothes I put on, simply dragging on the closest things on the floor to the kitchen. Checking the time confirmed that I was running twenty minutes late, so I settled for wrapping two pieces of bread around a banana and eating it for breakfast on my way to the field. I shoved hair-ties, several scrolls, my throwing stars and knives and a bottle of water into a bag. I ran out the door, not bothering to shut it properly behind me, and tore down the stairs. Gai would undoubtedly make me do one handed chin ups for being so frigging late.

I said a muffled 'hello' to the landlady, who had her forehead resting against the desk and was moaning about today's hangover. I didn't stop to talk, instead fleeing outdoors into the street. I weaved in and out of the people, faster than was wise on a busy high street, but I managed without incident.

I reached the training grounds in record time, dumping my bag on the ground and pulling out a knife simultaneously. Gai was no where to be seen on the field, though I suspected one of his 'surprise' attacks. I twirled the knife on my fingers and finished the rest of my breakfast. After a minute or so of pacing the field, I looked around again, surprised that Gai had contained himself for so long. I held the knife between my teeth while I tied my wet hair into a knot on top of my head.

Still no Gai.

This was just ridiculous. After one last look around, I sat down on the grass and pulled out one on the scrolls. If he was going to waste time sulking, I may as well continue to work on one of my unfinished jutsu.

I was currently working on creating a new type of shadow clone, one that could travel greater distances away from the original body, and be used as a messenger clone. It would make contact far easier and more reliable. Sending messages with birds and the like was risky, as they were easily caught by enemy ninja. Using a shadow clone as a messenger was a better idea, as you could release the jutsu at will, and the message would disappear with the clone.

That was the theory, but trying to create a reliable double was proving to be harder than I had first thought.

I made hand signs, and a double appeared next to me. I instructed it to run away into the forest, while I tried to keep control of it, and prevent it from disappearing in a puff of smoke. The idea had come to me when I was trying to think of a way to protect the village and Naruto from the Akasuki threat, and I had the beginnings of a plan, but to execute it would be dangerous, and have dire consequences…

"Yo."

I jumped and looked over my shoulder. Somewhere in the distance I heard a faint 'puff'; the short, sad life of a clone.

Kakashi stood behind me with his hands in his pockets, looking calm as can be.

"What are you doing here?" I blurted out. I suddenly realised that the last time I saw him I had kissed him. Then I remembered just how bad my appearance was, my wet hair scraped back, my t-shirt was dirty and I realised too late that my sandals were mismatched. I hastily kicked them off and pulled the elastic out of my hair to try to remedy the situation.

Kakashi barely seemed to of noticed.

"I'm your new teacher."

It took a moment to process.

"We're going to what now?" I spluttered.

"I will continue your training. I had always intended to, but I had promised my time to Sasuke. Gai has taught you enough in regards to Taijutsu, but seeing as you are working on a new jutsu,' I quickly closed the scrolls, 'I thought I would take over."

I struggled into a standing position.

" 'kay, so what're we doing today?" I asked trying to remain calm. I reattached my kunai holster to my leg and adjusted the shuriken pouch to avoid looking at Kakashi.

"Well, I guess a good place to start would be to see how far you got in your Taijutsu..." He was looking disinterestedly up at the sky.

I shrugged and walked away to the other side of the field, pulling out a knife as I went.

"Alright, but this can't run late, I've got somewhere to be in few hours." I called over my shoulder.

Kakashi was silent for a moment, and I turned around out of curiosity. He was frowning slightly.

"What?"

"I'd say your training take priority over your boyfriend, don't you think?"

His tone was aloof, but the dark look remained and it took me a moment to realise what he was talking about.

"It's not actually any of your business what I do with my evenings." I said, annoyed at his assumption.

"But you're seriously going to sabotage yourself for that idiot?"

Kakashi voice harshened. How did this suddenly get so serious?

"Gee Kakashi, I didn't think you cared." I said sarcastically, unable to stop myself.

"I don't."

That stung. I was too far away to see Kakashi's expression, to see whether he was shocked by his remark, or if he truly meant that.

"I thought you were smarter than this. Gai's already told you that he's a womaniser."

I laughed bitterly.

"You're one to talk. Every time I see you, you have some new floozy on your arm – you're just as bad as Adam." I shot back.

"Jealous?"

"Never."

He was silent, and I realised that I had gone too far. When he next spoke it was so low that I nearly missed it.

"Is that what you really think of me?"

"It's what I know."

Part of me was in agony, willing myself to shut up and try to amend the situation. Unfortunately, anger had won over reason.

It was quiet again, each of us avoiding the others eyes. My stomach was churning with anger and anxiety. I finally broke the silence.

"I don't feel like training anymore." I walked towards him, to gather my bags. I kept my eyes aimed straight ahead, away from him and I walked away.

"If I want training, I'll ask Gai. Wouldn't want you to waste your time."

Without looking back or apologising, I walked away from the training fields and Kakashi.

* * *

"That Bastard!" I suddenly shouted at the same time Tsunade yelled at me.

"Mai, stop!"

There was a mighty explosion, as the fish I was supposed to be healing suddenly blew up in a bloody pink mess. My hands where still poised over where it had been a moment before. I stood still for a moment, blinked through the gore, before coming back to my senses.

"Son of a -,"

I muttered curses to myself and I shook the fish guts off my hands and glared down at the inspection table. Tsunade was in front of me, wiping the fish covered clipboard she had used to cover her face with a rag. I grabbed a nearby towel and roughly wiped myself clean, before resuming glaring at the table.

"What the hell was that Sumiko?" Tsunade demanded.

It had been three days since my fight with Kakashi, and what a shitty few days it had been. I hadn't talked to him, nor had he made any attempt to contact me, and my emotions and chakra were all over the place. I switched between anxiety and anger throughout the day, and was constantly snapping at people over miniscule things.

"Stupid, useless men." I finally spat out, throwing the towel into the laundry chute.

Tsunade leaned back against the wall, chucking the clipboard onto her desk.

"Which one in particular?" she asked.

I considered not asking – after all, shouldn't it be obvious? Everyone in this entire frigging village seemed to be in on the Maia/Kakashi state of affairs. However, a glance in her direction showed the Hokage with a questioning raised eyebrow.

"Kakashi is being a shit head." I sulked, looking away again.

"And he's why you've been so useless for the past few days."

I shrugged.

She sighed and pushed off the wall, walking round the desk to take a seat.

"Yes I thought it would be him. What happened?"

I finally met her eye, and realised just how far the fish had spread – hopefully she wouldn't make me clean the office up.

"I don't even know. One minute we were fine, the next, end of friendship."

"Hmm, sexual tension can result explosively."

I glared at her; there was no point in denying it. Because it would only prove that I had something to hide…which I didn't. Plus I was quite sure that if I told her to shut the hell up I would get kicked through the door.

"Too bad he's on a mission, or I'd make you two sort it out now."

"He what?"

"I sent him off with a team yesterday morning. S class, for a week or so."

"But he hasn't even healed properly from the Itachi thing!"

She shrugged.

"It's just the way it is. The village is under a lot of strain at the moment, we need leaf Shinobi out in the world to show a strong, united front."

So, there was the reason for his silence…but how long would he be gone? And would he even want to talk to me?

"Either way,' Tsunade continued, 'sort yourself out. I don't need animals exploding in my office because of your emotion driven charka. You obvious care a lot for the guy, why not just tell him and be done with it."

I scoffed at her and shook my head.

"When hell freezes over."

She raised her brows again, looking victorious for a moment, then I realised what I had just admitted aloud.

"Whatever. You can go, same time tomorrow."

I barely heard her. I was suddenly thinking about Akasuki, the plan I had been forming at the training grounds before the fight with Kakashi. And seeing as he would probably never talk to me again, it seemed I had nothing to lose, yet everything to protect.

"Um, actually."

She looked back up at me.

"I've thought of a way that I can be useful to the village…repay debts to the third and fourth. About the Akasuki."

She raised an eyebrow, giving me her full attention.

"And…,' I continued, 'you're not going to like it."

* * *

Kakashi glared up at the stars, furious. She was absolutely ridiculous, chasing after that asshole like a…what was the term she had always used? Obsessive fan girl? A memory floated back to him, from when Mai had called one such 'fan girl' a fat sack of useless and ended up hiding in a tree for four hours.

Kakashi caught himself starting to smile and hastily resumed his scowl. His teammates had long fallen asleep; the last three days had been trying. They had been sent to retrieve documents from an enemy nation, one that had shown signs of threat towards the village in its weakened state. The mission had been successful so far; they had successfully infiltrated the enemy territory unnoticed and were less than a day from their destination.

Kakashi sat up silently, quickly checking on his two teammates, Minobi and Katsuo.

He had been appointed as guard for the night; there were Nin roaming the wilderness for enemies, though the team had removed their traces from their journey. Everything seemed fine for now; he couldn't sense anyone nearby, though well trained ninja could cover their chakra signals…

Again his thoughts floated back to Mai, emotions he normally kept suppressed floating to the surface. How easily she could get under his skin and cause so much anger, frustration and annoyance.

Kakashi groaned quietly and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Everything 'right, Boss?"

Katsuo had his eyes open, and was looking at the sky.

"There's no one nearby, we're fine."

As 'fine' as could be expected. Kakashi pulled his vest tighter around him, the night was still and cold and not being able to light a fire meant that they had not had anything completely sustaining to eat.

"That's not what I asked."

Kakashi looked over his shoulder again at the Nin, who still was yet to meet his eye.

"You 'right?"

"Hm." Was all Kakashi offered, turning away again.

"Woman trouble?"

Kakashi said nothing, not wanting to lose focus on what he was supposed to be doing. Katsuo, however, didn't seem keen to drop the matter.

"You know, Mai's a nice girl. You be good to her."

Kakashi frowned to himself. This was the most he had ever heard Katsuo say in one go, and was surprised that it was about Mai of all people.

"She made an impression then." Kakashi muttered conversationally. There was no point in asking how he knew about their 'situation', everyone knew.

"I'm only saying." Katsuo replied, shifting in his sleeping bag.

Kakashi didn't want to hear about how great Mai was; she didn't think the same of him, she made that much clear. She had compared him to Adam, of all people. He wrinkled his nose in disgust.

Unlike Adam, he hadn't had a whole lot to do with who he dated. Either Gai or Asuma set him up, or he was ambushed. It wasn't like he couldn't get out of going out with those women, but the truth was, he just didn't care. He didn't care if he went out or stayed in, because most of those women held no interest for him.

He just went through the motions that he was expected to.

Clearly guarding with indifference was not a great way to go. Maia certainly wasn't impressed at all, and would probably never want to talk to him again. She certainly had terrible taste in men, though if she was so unwilling to listen to him or Gai, perhaps Asuma would have more luck convincing her to ditch Adam.

She shouldn't be ducking out on training either; she needed to be prepared for anything. The Hokage had told him that she could be a potential target for the Akasuki in their aim to capture and possess all the Jinchuuriki. He couldn't lose her too, not after she had just come back, not after everyone else…

Kakashi ducked the moment he heard the thin _shiing _sound cut the air. A demon shuriken cut the tree behind him in half. Katsuo and Minobi were up in seconds, and Kakashi jumped out of the way of the falling trunk. He drew out kunai in the air, and landed in a stance to attack. It took a moment for his eyes to catch the movement of the enemy. A tree was suddenly lit on fire, and what would now be the battleground was illuminated. They were completely surrounded; all the ninja were wearing masks. One of them spoke, their voice muffled.

"Hmmm…Konoha. We've been waiting"

Kakashi counted the warriors, seventeen in total. Two were hiding further back in the forest.

"I'm surprised that the higher ups could spare the man-power."

Then ninja laughed quietly, and started to circle around them. Kakashi couldn't accurately tell whether these Nin were Chunin or higher, but they didn't seem to have noticed who he was yet. Seventeen to take care of, retrieve the documents and complete the three day journey unscathed was too much to ask in this state.

Some of the Nin raised crossbows, and took aim. He heard Katsuo shift behind him, ready to attack; Minobi crouched slightly, preparing to jump over the ranks. They wouldn't escape uninjured.

"Men,' the leader continued, 'take aim on these intruders. Konoha won't miss three more dead nin stupid enough to get caught."

They simultaneously pulled back on the kunai and waited.

Kakashi's thoughts turned back to Mai one last time. He had to see her again, make things right. He had to return to Konoha for her.

Anger, frustration, annoyance…and want.

The kunai sprung away from the crossbows as Kakashi pulled up his headband.

**Hey SO. I'm reeeeeally sorry about how long this has taken, and that it's a bit shit and shorter than usual. But the next chapter will be great – promise. I know exactly what is going to happen, so hopefully it will be out much sooner than this one. I recently started a new job and university, and just have no time to write – this chapter is practically a paragraph a week effort. Bear with me, there is more to come. Check my profile if I'm taking ages, I will post the latest excuse there. Cheeeeers. :) **


	15. Chapter 15

I rested my chin in my hand, watching the little white bird fly around the room. The distant rumble of thunder disturbed my trance, lightening flashing outside my window. I'd figured out the messenger jutsu- by creating the clone in the shape of a small animal, I could send it further away and maintain it. I had already attached the message within the creations chakra, and it was ready to go. Once the message was sent, there was no going back.

The Hokage had not liked my idea at all, but saw what needed to be done, and that I was the only person for the job. When he got the message, he would come and I would have mere weeks left living in Konoha.

The bird settled in front of the window, waiting to begin its mission. There was no point in waiting this out any longer.

I took a deep breath, stood up from the table and opened the window latch. The bird shot out into the rainy night, away over the dark forest. I wouldn't see it again, wouldn't know the answer until it was destroyed.

I thought about Kakashi, and hoped that where ever he was he was safe and out of the storm. I hoped that he would forgive me for what I had done.

* * *

"Excellent Mai, now just ease back a bit to avoid scar tissue forming…good." Tsunade scrutinised my work on the patient, before giving a nod of approval. She had moved me from animals to humans quickly, seeing how fast I learnt, and how much I already knew about healing.

"Right, move onto Bed 14, he has a minor fracture in-,"

The hospital wing doors suddenly flew open.

"Lady Hokage! Team Kakashi has returned – we need you in here!" An orderly shouted, panic in his voice. Tsunade rushed towards the doors, calling me after her.

"Mai, get in here!"

I ran into the corridor, across the hall and into the ER. Katsuo was helping another ninja onto one of the beds, before collapsing onto another. Kakashi was nowhere to be seen. The ninja I didn't recognise was bleeding heavily, and his leg was obviously broken. Katsuo was deathly pale, a sickly yellow hue taking over his face.

"W-where's Kakashi?" I stuttered, my stomach lurching violently.

"Pull it together Sumiko – get to work." Tsunade snapped at me, rushing to the bleeding ninja's side to staunch the flow of blood. I swallowed hard and nodded stiffly and went to Katsuo's side, grabbing scissors as I went.

With trembling hands I cut off his damp vest and shirt as fast as I could, attempting to focus on the patient.

"Where are you injured?" I said quickly, pulling away the left over cloth. I could see bruises starting to form on his arms and torso, and there was a long, deep cut on his side that had signs of advanced infection. I immediately linked him up to bags of fluid and antibiotics. Katsuo coughed and wheezed beneath me. He was shivering, and I thought back to the storm of a few days ago.

"Orderly – take his blood pressure!" I shouted as I hooked Katsuo up to more machines. The orderly arrived at my elbow and wrapped a thick black band around Katsuo's arm, and began to pump it up. I checked his heart rate, and found it to be beating rapidly – too fast for someone not moving.

"Tachycardia…what are you getting?" I asked the orderly.

"Blood pressure is elevated, suffering from hypertension."

"Shit, beginnings of hypothermia…go and get two hot water bottles and place them under his arms."

The orderly moved away – not fast enough.

"Run!" I barked, and the orderly fled.

I readjusted the fluids, increasing the dosage. I could hear my heart beating in my ears. The state these two were in…where was Kakashi?

Katsuo's moan brought me back to reality and I got back to healing his wounds. The infected one would need stitches, and a shot. The orderly arrived back with the bottles and did as I instructed.

"Good – go help the Hokage." The orderly was gone in a second.

"Katsuo, how are you feeling?" I had to keep him talking.

"F-f-fine." He managed to bite out, still shaking.

"Okay, I'm going to give you a shot in your wound in your side to anesthetize it, and then I'll get to work one the other ones. You're going to be fine; you've just got a bit of a chest cold is all."

"R-right."

He was quiet again, and I got to work on his bruises while I waiting for the anesthetic to take effect.

"K-K-K-Kakashi w-was okay." I looked up from my work, heart leaping into my throat. What did he mean 'was'? Katsuo kept staring at the ceiling.

"H-he went on t-to f-finish the mission…B-but I think he w-was fine w-when he left."

"What do you mean 'you think'?" I asked softly, finding a muscle tear in his left bicep, and focusing my chakras on that.

"I-it was dark. Couldn't see. A-ambushed. Kakashi s-s-said he was f-f-fine and sent u-us back."

I gulped; Kakashi lied about that stuff all the time. And now he had run off into an enemy country to finish a mission alone. I chose not to ask any more questions, not until I could spare my concentration. Katsuo had more wounds internally than I first realised, and he would require all of my focus to stay alive.

* * *

"Maia, wake up."

My eyes flew open, and for a moment I didn't know where I was. I sat up and looked around at the white room, and realised that I was still in the hospital, sitting on a couch. One of the head nurses, one of the ones that hated me, stood in front of me. I leaned back, expecting to be shouted down. However, the look on her face told me that I wasn't going to be screamed at, at least not today. She was pale, and had black circles under her eyes.

"The Hokage would like to speak with you." She said quietly, handing me a cup of coffee.

The memories of the previous night flooded back to me, and I remembered that Kakashi was still missing.

"Oh god, he's dead?" I said, voice cracking.

"No! No, we're still not sure, but the others pulled through the night, and it seems like they're going to be okay. Tsunade spoke to the older one this morning, and has some information."

I sighed with relief, and drank some of the coffee.

"This morning? What's the time?" I asked blearily.

"Four in the afternoon,' She answered, 'I have to get back to work, but go and speak with Lady Hokage as soon as you can."

I nodded, and pushed myself upright and headed towards the doors.

* * *

"I talked to Katsuo early this morning. Team Kakashi were ambushed and attacked by a party of around 18 ninja in the early hours of Wednesday morning, day three of the mission."

"Yeah I know, but what about Kakashi?" I was practically trembling with anxiety. Tsunade looked back down at her notes and took another deep breath.

"While they managed to defeat the enemy, serious injuries were sustained on Katsuo and Minobi's behalf. I'm not sure as to the status of Hatake Kakashi's welfare. According to Katsuo, it was too dark to see what sort of state Kakashi was in. On Kakashi's orders, Katsuo was to take Minobi, apparently the most severely injured of the three, back to Konoha for treatment. Katsuo developed hypothermia on the way back, and arrived in the village on Friday night-,"

"Yeah I know but Kakashi-,"

"- Kakashi's whereabouts are currently unknown. He claimed to be able to move faster without the others and went on into the enemy nation to finish the mission. I'm sorry Mai, but that's all we know for now."

I slumped back into my seat; I already knew all of this.

"Then I'll go and get him." I said stubbornly.

"No."

"Why not! I'm just as strong as him, and I'd make the journey in half the time it took the team!"

"No Mai, you will only create more trouble and attention. You are to stay put, or have you already forgotten the mission you volunteered for?"

Defeated. I knew I couldn't leave, not after the promises I had made.

"Fine. Will you let me know as soon as you get more information?"

"As soon as I hear."

I stood, bowed, and left.

* * *

"Bah Mai! What are you worrying about! Have a little faith in Kakashi! He's not a total idiot!" Gai rambled on, patting me on the back as I stared gloomily into my drink. He and Asuma had taken it upon themselves to cheer me up after hearing about the mission.

"Yeah! He'll be back – he can't stay away from you for too long!" Asuma laughed heartily. It was nice of them to do this, but I could tell that their liveliness was strained at best. They were also concerned about Kakashi's whereabouts, but were doing a better job of covering it up.

"Yeah, I know…" I muttered, 'but it's just that we had this fight before he left, and it's just…sort of like…." I trailed off, not knowing how to explain myself. Gai seemed to get it, and nodded thoughtfully.

"Yes, I heard you called him a pervert."

"What?"

I laughed a little.

"Pervert wasn't the exact word I used, but that was about the gist of it…"

Asuma downed the rest of his beer.

"I don't get why you have to be so stubborn about this. Just get on with it already."

"Get on with what?" I said, trying to sound innocent. Asuma just raised an eyebrow and waved over the waitress.

"Everyone knows, Maia. It's not just your fault. Kakashi has this whole problem with being happy, or something like that." Asuma continued after ordering another round.

"An air of tortured mystery." Gai added dramatically. I grinned and shook my head at him.

"Yeah, whatever, I just call that being a jerk."

"The fan-club certainly enjoys it though." Gai shrugged.

I made a noise of disgust.

"Do I detect a hint of jealousy?" Asuma leered.

"Why does everyone…I'm not jealous!"

The men just looked smug and dropped the subject. I finished off my drink and made to stand up.

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I'm working at the hospital tomorrow, bright and early."

I ignored the cries of protest and climbed down off my stool and grabbed my stuff.

"I'll see you guys later." I said loudly, over their complaints and left the bar alone.

As soon as I left the men, I felt anxious again. They seemed confident in Kakashi's abilities, but if he was hurt…I shook myself and forced him out of my head. I needed to think about something else or I'd go crazy.

Nothing came to mind.

I spent the rest of the walk focusing on not focusing on Kakashi, and was outside my building surprisingly fast.

…But why didn't he come back with the others? Did I have something to do with him staying away?

"Argh!" I shouted loudly in the middle of the stairwell, frustration finally getting the better of me. I just needed to sleep. Kakashi would probably be back in the morning and I could talk to him then.

* * *

Gai and Asuma watched Mai walk away, shoulders hunched up against the cold of the night.

"She's not doing so great, huh?" Gai muttered as she disappeared from sight.

"Kakashi will be fine. He's disappeared like this before." Asuma shrugged, trying to remain at ease. He had disappeared before, but had always sent word to the Hokage of his plans. But this time, no one knew anything.

"I heard that if he's not back in the next few days, the Hokage is sending out a retrieval team." Gai said.

"What? Why? That's never happened before."

"He's deep in enemy territory, alone. And as Konoha stands, we can't afford for top ninja to go missing. I don't know, it's just one of the rumours floating around." Gai shrugged.

"Yeah, well, don't tell Mai, she'd be out of here in a second."

The two ninja fell into silence, and thought of little else for the rest of the night.

* * *

My sleep was disruptive and restless that night. I got up early, exhausted and frustrated. So, instead of brooding for the day and forever wondering about what had happened on the mission, I decided to go straight to the source.

I knocked gently on the door before opening it. Katsuo opened his eyes at the noise, and sat up when he saw who was visiting him. Minobi was heavily sedated and still asleep.

"Hi, how're you feeling?" I murmured, creeping into the room to take the seat at Katsuo's bedside. He coughed and straightened up further.

"Much better, thank you. Tsunade said I'll be out in another week. Minobi will be in here longer. Punctured a lung or something."

I bit my lip and looked over at the other Ninja. He was still extremely pale.

"And you?" Katsuo asked.

"I'm fine."

His raised eyebrows told me that he knew it was a lie, but he didn't say anything further, not being the type to pry. I tried to think of the best way to broach the subject without sounding obsessed, but nothing ingenious came to mind.

"Um,' I finally managed, 'did Kakashi seem, kind of, uh, weird during your mission?"

Katsuo looked at me seriously, and I knew that he would tell me the truth without making fun of me.

"He was unusually moody. Didn't say much."

Ah, so he was mad still.

"Oh… so he didn't say anything to you before he left?" I said hopefully, thinking that maybe he had left some sort of message with Katsuo.

"He said a lot of things."

I glared at Katsuo; he clearly wanted me to be completely upfront with him about this.

"Did he say anything about me?" I sighed.

"No."

"Oh."

So he really hadn't thought of me before running off.

Great.

Katsuo glanced at me, and my dejection must have been written all over my face.

"Though, I've known Kakashi for a long time. He's never left his words to someone else to deliver. That was he _has_ to return to tell people the important things in person. He didn't leave a message with me, because he is coming back."

It was the most I had heard Katsuo say in one go, and I could have hugged him if not for fear of injuring him further.

Instead I smiled at him, and relaxed a little in the chair, and realised that I should have talked to Katsuo from the start.

* * *

I'd stayed at the hospital longer than I expected, and by the time I got home it was late afternoon. The sleepless night previous had caught up with me, and I all but dragged myself back home to collapse into bed.

I glanced at the clock when I got in – it was only four, but it was time for bed. I pulled off items of clothes as I made my way to the bedroom, leaving them where they fell.

The bed was still unmade from this morning, and I crashed onto the mattress, burrowing beneath the blankets, feeling the knot in my stomach start to ease.

* * *

My eyes snapped open, alert. Rain was pounding down on my skylight, and the temperature had dropped. I checked my alarm, and saw that it was midnight. There was no way I was going back to sleep after a solid six hours. I groaned and rubbed my eyes. I suddenly occurred to me that I'd skipped dinner, and was starving. I kicked the blankets of and pulled on a pair of leggings and a red t shirt before struggling up out of bed and wandering into the kitchen. I turned up the thermostat as I went to set the jug to boil and then looked around for tea bags.

As usual, there was nothing in the fridge aside from some of the antidotes Tsunade had had me practise. I really had to get more organised. I found teabags at the back of the cupboard.

I leaned against the counter as I waited for the jug to finish and tried to think of any stores that would be open at this time.

There was a knock.

I straightened and looked around; it hadn't come from the door. It came again, and this time I could hear that it came from the lounge. I walked into it cautiously, and saw that some one was standing outside my window, knocking to come in.

Kakashi.

My breath caught in my throat; before I quickly threw open the window to let him in.

"What are you doing?" I gasped, taking in the state of him. He was completely drenched, but I could still see the remnants of blood in his clothing. He was trying not to shiver and was missing his vest.

"It's not as bad as it looks." He assured me. "But the hospital would keep me for a week; I was hoping you could help me."

I gawked at him, wanting yell at him for being an idiot and standing around in the rain. Instead, I acted like an adult.

"Okay. Take of your headband, gloves and shoes and sit down." I walked briskly back to the jug and poured the water into a bowl, adding some cold to it. I pulled bandages out of my bag, as well as anti-bacterial medic wipes and cloths.

Kakashi sat down at my table, and I could feel him watching me.

I came back quickly and set everything down on the table and got to work.

"Do you know where you're injured?" He'd probably lie.

"There are just a few scratches." He answered, or lied rather.

I rolled my eyes, and soaked one of the cloths in the hot water. I wrung it out and turned back to him. I gently held his chin, while I wiped away the blood that was on the visible part of his face. I looked at his pupils to check whether he was concussed or just acting like an idiot. After I confirmed that no, he was just being an idiot as usual, it occurred to me how intimate this was, and we still hadn't really said much.

I let go of the breath I realised I had been holding.

"Where's your vest?" I asked, needed to break the silence.

Kakashi looked surprised for a moment, though I suppose it was because he was waiting for me to tear into him about our argument.

"I had to get read of it. It was covered in blood and it would have been easily tracked."

I moved away, and started undoing the bandages around his shins. His skin was ice cold, and I quickly healed cuts on his legs.

There was nothing serious that need urgent attention, at this stage the thing I was most worried about was how cold he was.

"You need to have a shower." I muttered, moving away to grab towels.

"What?" He asked, sounding confused.

"You're freezing – you need to warm up."

He stood, coming towards me.

"Don't worry about it, Mai-,"

"Kakashi, one of your teammates has hypothermia from being out in the cold and wet!"

"Yes, but I'm alright for now, don't worry about that, we need to-,"

"Get in the shower Kakashi!"

"No." He said calmly.

I clenched my teeth, trying to contain myself. He was going to get sick and he didn't care.

"You need to warm up. You will get sick."

"No I won't. I need to talk to you."

"God, would you stop? You don't need to be in pain, so would you just get in the god damned shower!"

I actually walked up to him, grabbed the bottom of his shirt and pulled it up over his head before dropping it to the floor. I had grinned down at it in triumph, before I realised that the mask had come off with it. I immediately clapped a hand over my eyes and shut them tight.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry, I didn't think it would come off."

"Mai…"

"I didn't see anything, so just put it back on."

"Mai." I could hear the slight smile in his voice. My hand was suddenly pulled away, but I kept my eyes shut.

"Mai,' he tried again, 'you wouldn't have gotten the mask off if I didn't want you to see."

I swallowed hard, unsure if I wanted to see or not.

"Look at me." He said, calm again.

Slowly I opened my eyes at looked up at him. I bit my lip, the fan girls had been right.

He was looking down at me, frowning slightly. He certainly didn't have disfiguring acne, or a hare lip, nor was he a cheekless wonder. He was beautiful. His face was surprisingly unmarked, apart from the small scar on his jaw. One corner of his mouth curved up slightly more than the other, and his lips were full, though not so much as to make him appear feminine. His jaw was straight and strong, and his nose was one of the few that had never been broken.

A ninja so good no one could touch him.

I realised that I was positively gawking at him and looked away.

"Um…that's nice." I managed, trying to slow my heart rate. I took a deep breath, before realising that if I wasn't looking at his face, then I was staring at his naked torso. My cheeks began to turn red when I thought of the last time I saw him like this. Him staring at me was not helping matters either.

I gradually came back to my senses, and realised that his body was littered with cuts, and there was a fairly large gash above his hip.

Pull yourself together, Mai.

I bit my lip harder, trying to bring back my focus and I placed my hand just above the wound and started to heal it. I wished he would stop looking at me like that; it was making it unbelievably hard to concentrate.

My hair fell forward into my face, and I moved to brush it away. Kakashi beat me to it; tucking the traitorous strands behind my ear.

My gaze flickered up to his face and back to my hand nervously. My stomach was doing flips, and that old burning sensation was starting up in my abdomen again. The wound was healed for the most part, and the scratches could heal on there own.

"Um…I'll go and turn on the shower." I mumbled before moving away jerkily.

"Maia." Kakashi caught my wrist and pulled me back gently. We were way too close, and I looked up him uncertainly. His face was bent down towards mine. He looked questioningly into my eyes, before wrapping his arm around my waist. He pulled me right up against his body and pressed his mouth hard against mine.

**God, I hope I did this justice. I'm stopping here, coz the next chapter is, er, R16 and I didn't want to freak anyone out. Hope you liked it anyway.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Ok. So. R18.**

**I'm so so sorry if I scar people for life, I've never written anything like this before.**

**I can't believe I'm posting this.**

**Ohmygod.**

* * *

I sat in the café, hands clenched around my knees as I stared intently at the coffee I was supposed to be drinking. Letting my hands rest freely allowed them to shake, which they had been doing since…

"Maia! Mai!"

I jumped out of my reverie at the sound of my name. The café was busy, and I had been lucky to get a table. I was sitting by a big window, enjoying the afternoon sun. I looked around and saw Kurenai struggling between the tables to get to me, a look of panic on her face.

Once she had detangled herself from a pesky chair leg, she flopped into the arm chair opposite me.

"Are you okay? On the phone you sounded so, so – frenzied."

I let out a short laugh and bit my lip; hands clenching my knees even tighter.

"Hm, yeah."

"Did something happen?"

Kurenai's concern was written all over her face and she leaned forward eagerly.

"Um. Yeah. Yes. There was a, uhm, happening. The kind of…occurrence." I felt the corners of my mouth twitch uncontrollably.

"You're acting like a crazy person. Explain. Now."

She gave me her total, undivided attention. I took a shuddering breath and began.

* * *

He wrapped his other arm around my waist and pulled me in tighter. His kiss was hard and passionate, tilting my head right back to accommodate. My arms were pinned against his chest, but I needed to touch him, try to get even closer. Fire pooled in my abdomen, making my legs weak. I tried to pull my arms from between us, to wrap around his neck, when he pulled away.

"Wh-what are you doing?" I panted, confused.

His grip was loosening, and I saw confusion on his face too.

"I thought you wanted-,"

He thought I was pushing him away. I smiled slightly, and wrapped my arms around his neck, reaching for his mouth again. Immediately he responded, crushing me against his body.

He bit my bottom lip gently, and I opened my mouth to him. His tongue traced my lip before meeting my own. His hand moved up into my hair, burying itself amongst the messy strands. His other pressed against my lower back, and my hips pressed against his.

The kiss started to heat up, I kissed him back urgently, wanting him to hold me tight, to touch me. I pressed myself into his chest, and his hands ran up and down the length of my back. I craned my neck to reach him, realising just how much taller than me he was. His thoughts must have mirrored mine; his hands reached my bottom. I gasped as his grip hardened and he lifted me up, wrapping my legs around his waist before sitting me down on the kitchen counter. I grinned slightly, hooking my ankles together to keep him close. His hand caressed my upper thigh, and the pressure in my abdomen intensified. I took another strangled breath as he burrowed his other hand in my hair and pulled my head back.

His kisses made their way under my jaw and down my neck, burning me each time. He moved the neck of my shirt over slightly, to bare my naked shoulder. I shut my eyes, savouring every moment his lips were on my skin and explored his chest and stomach with my hands. I traced my fingers lightly over his muscled shoulders, shivering slightly. I continued downwards, exploring hard pectorals and abs; good enough to run your teeth down…

His work on my neck was suddenly interrupted. I opened my eyes in surprise, and then felt his hands on my stomach, under my shirt and moving up my sides.

Huh so he noticed the absence of a bra strap.

He looked down at me questioningly as his hands halted. I smiled shyly, before raising my arms over my head. He traced his hands up my sides, catching the shirt and pulled it up over my head.

It landed somewhere in the distance, but that was the least of my concerns. The cool air hit my bare chest; goose bumps forming up my arms. Kakashi leaned back slightly taking in my half naked display. He didn't move for a moment, and I started feeling self conscious. I moved to wrap my arms around myself.

"Wha-,"

He grabbed my wrists and set them at my sides again. He met my eyes, and I felt my face heat up. The way he was looking at me…

I had seen that look before, but then his face had been half covered up, but now I could see what it truly was. A look of pure lust.

"M-Mai…" He murmured hoarsely. I smiled slightly, unsure of what to do; I'd never had a guy stop like this to admire the scenery…

Kakashi moved towards me like lightening, but this time his kiss was less frenzied. He was back in control and exploring every part of my mouth possible. My breasts pressed against him; every now and then his palms would brush against them, sending shivers down my spine. His hands grabbed under my legs and he lifted me up again. He carried me across the apartment, and I used the opportunity to kiss down his throat. I ran my tongue over his Adams apple, causing his fingers to clench around my thighs. I released a low laugh, stroking the hair at the nape of his neck before turning my attention back to his throat. I felt something else press against my thigh, and I bit my lip at the sudden swooping sensation that ran through me.

I could feel myself being lowered, and realised that we were in my bedroom. My arms were suddenly wrenched from his neck as he lay me down. He pinned my arms at the wrists over my head with one hand, and grinned down at me wolfishly. I wriggled beneath him, attempting in vain to get free and jump him. His eyes darkened as he watched me, before he leaned down slowly and kissed my breast. I arched into him as his tongue flew lightly across my nipple, fighting against his hold again. I heard him laugh quietly as he started kissing his way back up to my jaw. He nipped the curve of my neck, and layered light kisses everywhere but my mouth.

His hand worked my breast, caressing it gently. He somehow remembered the sensitivity of my ribs, and would run his fingertips down them from time to time, causing me to gasp. His other hand was at my hip gripping it tightly.

My feet slid off his back gradually and he leaned in between my legs for a better position.

"K-Kakashi – j-just… can you…" I squirmed again, the ache between my legs growing unbearable.

He suddenly moved against me, the part that needed the most attention. I nearly shouted when he finally caught my mouth again. I wasn't so shy this time, and managed to free my arms. I pushed him onto his back roughly, and straddled his hips. I held him down at his shoulders and grinned at him in triumph.

I ground against him, trying to ease the almost painful tightening sensation between my legs. Kakashi groaned quietly, clenching my thighs.

I let go of his shoulders, tracing my fingers down his stomach. His grip moved from my thighs to my waist, keeping me in place as he sat up.

He worked his way up my throat again, kissing a trail to my ear.

"Mai…Is this too fast? If this goes on for too much longer…I won't be able to stop." He said lowly.

I pulled away for a moment, and looked him in the eye. This was a bad idea, with everything I had promised the Hokage…I was supposed to leave and to get involved with Kakashi now… but it was Kakashi – how long had I wanted something like this to happen?

He was watching me carefully, his expression was one of calm, but his grip on my waist gave away his intentions. He would never hurt me, and if I said no, he would do as I asked.

Like I was going to do that.

"…Then don't." I finally murmured. His lips crashed against mine before I finished my sentence.

* * *

Kakashi fought to keep his composure, watching Mai carefully. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were bright. He was close enough to feel the rise and fall of her breasts, that soft pale skin he wanted to taste every part of. If she said no…he was barely restraining himself from throwing her down on the mattress right now. There was the fainting glimmer of doubt in her eyes, and his breath hitched.

He'd been right, he was going to fast for her; she was probably still furious at him.

"Then don't"

He grabbed her roughly by the waist and caught her lips. He rolled her over, under him and pulled one of her legs over his hip. Mai arched into him, burying her hands in his hair.

Kakashi curled his fingers under the waistband of her pants and tore them away from her writhing body. He traced his fingers up on long, curvy leg, drinking in the sight of her. She was trembling now, biting her lip and watching him expectantly. Kakashi sat back slightly and hooked his thumbs under the waist of his pants. One last look at Mai confirmed what he had been hoping for and he pulled them off in one fluid motion. She swallowed hard, staring unabashedly at his manhood, before her gaze trekked up to his face.

"Kakashi…" She breathed, licking her lips. He was done for; there was no way he could stop now.

He leaned back over her, his hand gripping her hip. He ran his tongue up the middle of her stomach, stopping to kiss the soft skin of her ribs, the curves of her breasts before making it back to her mouth. She was grinding against him, urgent for his touch. She moaned as he forced her lips apart and met his tongue with her own.

He reached down between her legs, running his fingers down her, feeling her need for him. Her moans were smothered by his mouth, and she raked her fingernails down his back. He massaged her breast with his other hand, and moved his mouth to the other, teasing his tongue over the erect nipple. Her eyes were shut and her breaths were coming in short gasps.

"Kakashi – c-can you – can you-," She couldn't get the sentence out. Her eyes were open now, and she watched him, lust-drunk.

He paused for the shortest of moments, etching the way she looked right at this moment, the way she was looking at him with such desire and longing, into his memory. The pale, soft skin; the long wavy locks that were fanned out over the pillow; her green eyes flashing up at him. She was beautiful, everything he had ever wanted. And she wanted him too.

He pushed her legs further apart, hooking one around his waist and drove his entire length into her. He watched her face for any sign of pain, and when he saw none he moved into her again. She threw her head back, hands clenching his shoulders. He felt her grab his neck, and pull his face to hers to kiss him desperately.  
Harder he thrust into her, extracting moans from his lover that he swallowed greedily. She suddenly rolled her hips against him, causing jolts of pleasure to shoot up his spine. His fingers involuntarily clenched around her thighs, and she did it again sensing the effect her movement had on him.

He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her up with him as he straightened, positioning her in his lap. Kakashi pressed Mai against him tightly, groaning into her neck as their bodies moved together. Her hands were everywhere, and he was being none too gentle either. There would be bruises tomorrow. They held each other tighter, reacting together to each wave of pleasure.

Mai's breath finally quickened in his ear, and her grip on his shoulders doubled.

"K-Kakashi, I'm going to- I'm- I'm-,"

He thrust into her faster and harder, feeling himself come closer to the edge, closer to losing all control.

"M-Mai" Was all he could manage to breathe into her neck before roaring, blissful oblivion consumed them both.

* * *

I twitched awake and blinked rapidly, the darkness pressing down on my eyes. It was cold in my room, at some point in the night I must have kicked my blankets off…

I blindly felt around for my duvet, but upon finally finding it at the end of my bed, I discovered that something else was missing.

I strained my eyes in the dark for a silhouette, a sign that it hadn't all been a dream. Surely I didn't imagine it…unless I had some how cast a genjutsu on myself?

Or maybe it had been real…and he'd left.

The very thought made me feel sick. Kakashi didn't do that kind of thing…did he? No. No, it was better to think of it as a dream.

A really, really, good dream.

* * *

It took an entire two seconds to realise that something was gently running itself up and down my back. It took another two to realise that my pillow feel oddly warm and hard and…_alive._

I yelled and jumped back before I could register that my pillow was Kakashi's chest, that it was Kakashi in my bed. Kakashi who had come to my apartment last night, who had disappeared at some point during my sleep. Kakashi who I had…I had…

I stared down at him mortified. He had opened one eye lazily, surveying my distress. There was a very awkward pause, then,

"Mai, if every time we share a bed you insist on screaming when you wake up next to me, I think I'm going to have to insist on separate bedrooms. This reaction does nothing for my ego."

He shut his eye again, as if to go back to sleep. I stared at him, open mouthed for a moment. Then disbelief and annoyance kicked in. What did he just say to me?

I made to lunge at him, but even first thing in the morning he was faster than me. Both eyes flashed open, totally alert as he knocked my arms away and rolled me beneath him.

He grinned crookedly down at me, his aloof air completely gone. I glared back at him.

"You're such an ass."

But that smile was disarming. I fought to keep a straight face, and did a poor job of doing so. I was still getting over the shock that Kakashi Hatake was in my bed, looking at me like, like _that_.

"Hey, I wasn't serious about the separate bedrooms thing. This one does have a great view."

I laughed at him. This was so weird, but the good kind.

Still I couldn't stop myself squirming slightly with embarrassment, suddenly very aware of how very lacking of clothing we both were. I made myself meet his eye again, still feeling kind of shy.

"I…I thought you left." I started uncertainly.

He brushed a lock of hair out of my face.

"This was the first place I came when I got back. I had to deposit the spoils of the mission; but I didn't think you'd miss me."

My stomach flipped. _The first place_. How strange it seemed, to be this intimate, this easy with him. Seeing his face still slightly unnerved me, made me want to cover up mine oddly enough. And the way he had looked at me over the last few hours…It made me grateful for the mask; being treated to those kinds of looks every day would surely have left me a love struck mess.

"What."

He was watching me curiously, and I realised that I had been staring at him silently for the last few minutes.

Correction: I am a love-struck mess.

I laughed nervously again.

Get it together Mai.

"I, uh…" I cleared my throat, 'I'm just trying to get my head around this…and the whole face…ensemble…thing…" I trailed off lamely.

"Ensemble."

I smiled and shrugged, trailing my hand up and down his arm. "It just takes some getting used to. Seeing the whole thing. How it works."

God, could I be any more an idiot right now. He, however, seemed to revel in my discomfort.

"Faces do generally work this way, Mai."

I grinned awkwardly and pinched the bridge of my nose, wanting to evaporate on the spot.

"But,' he continued, gently pulling my hand away from my face and kissing my knuckles softly 'I can see why you're struggling with this. I've completely decimated your hopes and imaginings."

I raised an eyebrow, curious as to where he was going with this. He was looking somewhere just above my head, apparently deep in thought.

"Oh?"

"Yes."

I looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to elaborate. He finally seemed to gather his thoughts, and took a deep breath before looking at me gravely. I felt a tiny pang of anxiety.

"I'm not pock-marked, and virtually scar free..."

There was something of a twinkle in his eye. He suddenly pushed his lips against mine firmly; wrapping his arms around me. I was instantly arched against him, my hands just getting a grip around his neck. His tongue pressed easily into my mouth, teasing my own.

It was ridiculous how easily he could dispel my nerves and turn me on so intensely at the same time…

He suddenly pulled away.

"I don't have halitosis…"

My heart was pounding hard against my chest; surely he must feel it against his own…

"And-," He added, kissing the corner of my mouth, down to my chin, over my jaw.

"I – have-,"

Moving down my neck, each word punctuated with open-mouthed kisses.

"All – my-,"

His suddenly bit the curve of my neck, causing me to gasp and arch up to him once more.

"Teeth."

I was breathing heavily as I stared up at him somewhat dazed. The corner of his mouth twitched, but his eyes were dark and burning.

"Think you can live with that?"

* * *

"Oh. My. God." Kurenai gazed at me, mouth agape and eyes wide. She stared in shock for a good 30 seconds, before letting loose a shriek of laughter that made the near-by patrons glare at us.

"OH MY GOD!"

I smiled awkwardly into my coffee, picking at the threads of the chair.

"Yeah. I know."

* * *

**I hoped you guys liked this – I know it's been a frigging long time, but university sucks and takes up more time that it has a right to. But I have already started work on the next few chapters and I'm on holidays at the moment, so I MAY be able to update a bit more regularly. Thanks for reading – I hope the huuuuge delay has not made you forget everything about the story so far.**


	17. Chapter 17

I had left Kurenai at the café ten minutes ago; I had to get home to meet Kakashi. He'd left early this morning for debriefing with the Hokage, and we had arranged to meet up later. God knows how much we had to talk about.

I was yet to succeed in wiping the grin off my face since this morning, earning me a suspicious glare from my landlord when I practically skipped back into my building.

"What are you so happy about, wretch?" she snarled from behind the desk.

I tried, and failed to keep the smirk off my face, and found myself thinking back to the events of the morning. I ran up the stairs to hide my reddening cheeks.

* * *

"_Nooo." I groaned into his neck and he hugged me tighter._

"_I've got to Mai, it's a wonder she hasn't broken down your door already."_

_I pulled away and met his eye._

"_Can't you just pretend to be missing still? We could just stay here." I raised an eyebrow to show my intentions. His grip tightened, and he sighed into my hair._

"_You're really not making this easy."_

"_No."_

_He lay still for a moment, and I thought I had won. _

"_Tsunade knows I'm back in the village; I returned the documents from the mission." He kissed my neck and turned away. I huffed at him, irritated that he was right. I rolled over onto my side and watched him hunt around for clothes so carelessly discarded the night before._

"_It shouldn't take any longer than an hour." He said, putting on his trousers. He flitted into the next room._

"_I'll come here as soon as I'm done" he called from the living area._

_He reappeared a moment later, his gloves and shoes in place. I watched grimly as he tugged down the bottom of his shirt. It was a shame; he had quite a nice stomach._

_Something of my perversion must have shown on my face. He stopped moving for a moment and stared at me before jumping onto the bed. He pulled me up towards him, and I returned his kiss eagerly. He made to move the sheets off of me, but I caught his hand before he could start._

"_Go and do your report." I laughed at him._

_The corners of his mouth twitched and he sat up off me, pulling up his mask as he went. His eyes were dark, and I knew well enough by now the expression hidden behind it. I felt my cheeks heat up and bit my lip, hoping he hadn't noticed._

"_Stay right here." He said in a low voice that set my heart racing._

_And then he was gone._

* * *

I shook my head, realising that I had been gazing dreamily out of my window for the last few minutes, reliving the memory. He'd be back soon. It had been more than an hour, but I had reasoned that the Hokage would probably be out for blood over the disappearing act he pulled.

How strange to think that less than 24 hours ago he had been missing in action, we had been fighting and now… I suppressed another undoubtedly goofy grin and tried to occupy myself with something other than thoughts of Kakashi.

Looking around my living room, I saw evidence of the night before, and I got to work clearing away the scattered medication and righted several chairs that had been knocked over when we…

Again with the stupid smile.

But what now? The rational side of my brain asked.

What now after we slept together? What did it mean? Were we now together, or was it just a cursory 'thank god I'm alive' thing on his behalf?

My heart seemed to skip a beat. What if it had just be survival sex? And he just wanted to be friends now that we had gotten the deed out of the way?

I chewed my thumbnail anxiously. Maybe just being friends with Kakashi was okay. I mean, having him as my boyfriend or whatever was ridiculous. It's Kakashi. He's not traditional boyfriend material, we frustrate each other endlessly, and he can be a total jerk.

It was just sex, one of the most natural things in the world. We had just released the tension between us, we would go back to being friends and that would be that. No big deal.

I actually laughed out loud at that last thought.

Yeah right, we will definitely be doing _that _again.

No big deal indeed.

We would, however, have to talk.

There was a knock at the door.

This time my heart really did skip a beat. I stared at the door for a few seconds, silently freaking out. What should I say? How long should I wait to answer? I should have washed my hair instead of meeting with Kurenai…

I took a deep breath and walked to the door.

_Be calm…Be calm, he's seen you naked, you are past the shy stage. Stop being a wimp._

I opened the door.

Kakashi was leaning casually on the doorframe, his smile, while hidden beneath the mask, was instant the moment I laid eyes on him. My voice failed when I tried to say 'hello'.

I cleared my throat and tried again.

"Hello." I said slightly too loudly.

"Hello Mai." He answered politely.

We stood in silence for a moment.

"So,' he said finally, 'did you start panicking the moment I left or just as I arrived?"

The tension suddenly lifted, and a relieved laugh escaped me. I stepped back to let him in.

"So what did Tsunade say?" I asked as I shut the door behind us, dodging his question.

"She was quite annoyed,' he answered pleasantly, leaning against the kitchen counter 'but she has taken me off the mission rosters for the next week to let me heal."

"You didn't mention that I'd already done that?"

"Slipped my mind. After all, I saw that you also had the next week off, it seemed like quite a nice coincidence."

I raised my eyebrows. This was news to me.

"I do?"

"The Hokage's worried about you."

"She is?"

"Yes, in fact, she asked that I come straight here. She said something about your mental wellbeing." He looked at me curiously.

"Oh. I made a fish explode in her office. Entirely your fault by the way."

He watched me for a moment, as though he was trying to figure me out. But I didn't want to talk about the fight we had had. It seemed to have occurred years ago, compared to where we stood now. He still had not taken off his mask, and the confidence he had when he first walked in seemed to have vanished. He was as uncertain as I.

_Be brave._

I crossed the distance between us in a matter of steps, and he met me half way. I pulled down the mask and kissed him.

* * *

How long we stood there, I don't know. We were completely entangled in one another, holding on as tight as we could. It was as though all the worry and desperation of the last week had finally caught up to us. I pulled out of the kiss and buried my face in his neck, breathing him in. The sleepless nights had taken their toll, and I finally felt drained.

"Thanks for coming back." I murmured.

He responded by holding me tighter. I could have fallen asleep right there.

After a while I moved away from him slightly, so I could meet his eye.

"Kakashi,' my voice even sounded weary to my own ears, 'this probably isn't the most romantic suggestion ever, but do you mind if we just…go to sleep?"

I could see the shadows under his eyes, and finally realised that it was pure strength of will that he was still even standing after what he had been through.

He leaned his forehead against mine for a moment.

"Sounds perfect."

* * *

Hand in hand I lead him to my room, where we striped down to our underwear. We climbed beneath the sheets; Kakashi curved around me, his hand splayed on my naked stomach. The last thing I remembered before sleep was a kiss so light on my shoulder blade, I could have already been dreaming.

* * *

I chucked a pillow at Kakashi.

"Here, can you strip these?"

I started yanking the sheets off my bed and tossing the pile on the floor. Kakashi yawned and grabbed the remaining pillows without question and did as I asked; he too obviously thought that after three days holed up in the apartment my bed had seen better days. I rummaged through my closet for a moment, looking for the spare set of bedding. I attempted to hide the contents of my closet from Kakashi once I saw what an utter mess it was; I would really have to start folding things up instead of lobbing them through the doors on my way to bed.

We were yet to talk about 'us', and I was too much of a wuss to bring it up. After all, we hadn't exactly been doing a lot of chatting the past few days…

I found the linen under a box of blunt knives and turned to toss it onto the bed. Kakashi was standing bare-chested next to it, stretching. I paused for a moment, watching in fascination as the muscles moved and lengthened. He appeared not to notice my stare, and grabbed the bedding on the floor, making to leave.

"Come on, you probably need to eat something." He said over his shoulder. I jumped out of my revelry and followed him.

The living room was a total bomb site too, more clothes hung over the couch, the table and the kitchen counter. I picked them up as I went and threw them next to the washing machine. Kakashi had already put the bedding in, and was now standing in front of the fridge, scratching his head.

I sat on top of the washer, watching him curiously.

"Mai; when was the last time you went shopping?"

He moved aside, and I finally noticed how pathetically barren my fridge was. Truth was, I couldn't even remember.

"Uh, not since before you got back to the village. I might have ice cream?"

I climbed down and wandered over, but further inspection of the freezer confirmed nothing but ice.

"Or not…" I muttered, shutting the door dejectedly. Kakashi leaned against the fridge, setting his hands on my hips.

"Ice cream is not a food group." He sighed, before pulling me closer and kissing my forehead.

"Let's just go out then." He added after a moment's thought.

I leaned back, surprised. Leave the apartment? Together? Surely this would cause quite a stir…

"Um, Kakashi…you realise that this is going to set everyone talking about, well, us."

"Everyone _is _already talking about us. We might as well prove the rumors right."

So maybe we were more than just a casual thing then. I couldn't help but feel pleased.

"Go out…but that means clothes." I sulked.

"Such sacrifice – I'll take you somewhere good." He answered, playing with my hair.

"So this is a …date?" I asked with a grin.

"This is survival 101." Kakashi answered seriously.

I scowled at him, before I tried to wriggle away. He held me fast, finding my annoyance amusing.

"It can either be a lunch between friends, or it can be a date. What do you want?"

He was straight-faced, and I realised that he was asking me more than how we were to act today; he wanted to know the same thing I did: were we just friends, or were we…together.

"Date." I answered shortly; there was no doubt in my mind about what I wanted from this. He smiled back at me.

"I hoped you would say that, I guess we'd better get dressed then."

I threw my head back and groaned.

* * *

I was slightly nervous as I walked down the street next to Kakashi. It almost felt that I was doing something wrong, and any minute I was going to be caught. Perhaps I had been more scarred by the fan girls during childhood than I thought. Kakashi looked as calm as ever; well, as calm as I could gauge, seeing as his mask was back on. It was like being with a different person when he wore it.

It was fairly busy today, though we were yet to see anyone we knew. Our joint absence over the last few days would not have gone unnoticed by Asuma or Gai.

I kept a wary eye out for enraged women too; last thing I wanted was to get into a cat-fight here on the street.

Kakashi caught my hand, and held it tight.

"Relax. We're not doing anything wrong." He murmured, running his thumb up and down my hand.

I let out the breath I'd be holding and nodded.

"I just feel like any moment this is going to blow up in our faces-,"

"OH-MY-GOD!"

We both jumped and looked up. Gai stood several meters away from us. He was staring at our hands with his mouth open. Kakashi was pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You! You're – but – Oh my god!" Gai shouted again, pointing at us now.

"Gai please, could you keep it down-," I said weakly.

"Asuma! Oy! C'm'ere!"

Asuma and Kurenai were suddenly at his side, Asuma's cigarette falling to the ground when his mouth dropped open in surprise.

There was silence for a moment, before both ninja started to laugh, Gai jumping excitedly on the spot; tears running down his cheeks. Kurenai gave me a sympathetic look, though she smiled too.

Kakashi looked down at me and shrugged. He put his arm around me as we walked over, and I wrapped mine around his waist. There was no point to being overly discreet now that Gai knew.

"B-but when?" Gai shouted at us, even though we were only a few feet from him.

I fought to keep the smile off my face.

"Uhm, a few days ago…"

Gai suddenly flung his arms around Asuma.

"We did it!" He yelled joyfully. Asuma looked slightly mortified. I didn't bother to point out that Kakashi and I got together on our own; why ruin Gai's mood?

"Well. We'd love to stay and talk, but we have places to be…" Kakashi said politely, watching as Asuma attempted to separate himself from Gai.

"No you don't Kakashi! We will be talking about this." Asuma said, sounding almost threatening.

We had already started walking away, avoiding the stares of passers-by.

"Yeah, yeah, we'll get together for a drink." Kakashi said unconvincingly.

"When?"

"Soon."

"How soon-,"

Their voices were cut short by the distance we had put between us and them. Kakashi let out a sigh and glanced back, making sure that Gai wasn't following us.

"Well,' I said cheerfully, 'I thought that went quite well."

* * *

That evening there was a knock at my door as I was preparing to leave the apartment. I had said goodbye to Kakashi after lunch; he'd had a few things to see to at his place. I was supposed to head over there tonight; we had discovered that the spare bed sheets didn't fit my bed, and everything else I owned in blanket form was still soaking wet in the washing machine.

So when I heard the knock at the door, I thought it was strange that Kakashi would forget that I was supposed to meet him at his. I swung it open; already excited to see him after just a few hours apart, when I saw that "Kakashi" was a busty blonde woman who looked supremely pissed off.

"Hey- er- Good evening, Lord Hokage." I stammered taking a few steps back. Tsunade marched into my apartment without invitation and slammed the door behind her. She walked through, and stopped before the large window taking deep shuddering breaths.

"Oh, sure, come right in. Make yourself at home." I muttered, following in her wake.

She started pacing, still looking furious. I was about to offer her a drink, or ask if I was allowed to call Kakashi to tell him I'd be late, when she finally exploded.

"I get that you two have been dancing around each other for years – but for a high class ninja, your timing is fucking terrible Sumiko!"

"Uh, what?"

I sank down into a chair, watching her carefully.

"You and Kakashi Hatake! Is this really the time to be doing this?"

"How do you know about that?"

"Jesus, Sumiko – Might Gai was shouting it from the bloody rooftops today!"

Ah and here was where everything would blow up in my face. I picked at the seat of the chair uncomfortably; I had been waiting for her to find out, and I'd known it would not end well.

"Well, I figured that life is short and-,"

"Yours is going to be a lot fucking shorter if you don't explain yourself!"

I huffed and stood up.

"Look, it's done, and I don't know what you want me to say."

She looked like she wanted to tear her hair out.

"You. Are. Leaving. You're leaving Konoha with your criminal mastermind, mass murdering ex-boyfriend! And you decide that now would be a good time to start up with Kakashi! Have you no sense?"

"Yeah, I do!"

"And? What are you going to do when you have to leave? When you have to get rid of Kakashi? Convince him to leave you? Or are you just going to run away in the middle of the night?"

"That's my business. It doesn't concern you." I answered angrily.

"It concerns me when people's lives are at stake. Are you still even going through with this plan?"

"Yes!"

"Really? And what about when Kakashi asks you to stay?"

"He wont." I glared at her, seething. "He has half of Konoha falling at his feet. It's not like…not like we love each other." My voice cracked.

"We're just fooling around." I felt sick as I said it, trying to convince the Hokage and myself that what I was indifferent.

Tsunade stopped pacing and stared me down.

"Then you had better get you damn act together and stop making promises that you can't keep."

"I will keep my promise. I owe Konoha. I can handle this, I can leave."

"Are you sure?" Tsunade watched me closely.

"I've done it before." I muttered. "Now I have places to be, if you wouldn't mind."

The woman glared at me a moment longer, before she swept herself from the room.

* * *

"I'm telling you, it works."

"It doesn't. You can't do it."

"You totally can!"

I grinned down at Kakashi, biting my lip excitedly. The incident with the Hokage had occurred a few days ago, and I'd managed to force it from my mind. She didn't know what she was talking about; Kakashi and I were just having fun. At the moment, we were having an extraordinarily intense debate as to whether it was possible to get a hickey on your forehead. I swung my leg over his chest and leaned down towards him.

"Can I at least try?"

He looked up at me, managing, just, to keep a straight face.

"What's in it for me?" He answered lowly, the wolfish grin I had come to love finally winning over his features. I sat back and pretended to take the question seriously.

"You can have the ice cream in my freezer."

The grin disappeared.

"Huh, you're really serious then."

I nodded, wide-eyed.

He mulled it over for a moment, before shrugging slightly and wrapping his arms around my waist.

"Fine. Your loss." He said smugly.

I felt my grin widen, as I bent down towards him.

* * *

Kakashi kept his head down when he walked into the tavern; his headband had mysteriously disappeared. He made a bee-line for Gai and Asuma who were waiting at the bar. One look from the two Nin stopped him dead in his tracks. Gai had snorted into his drink and was now half laughing, half choking. Asuma stared unashamedly at his forehead, not bothering to hide his amusement. Kakashi's heart sunk, surely he had not forgotten to…

"Oy Kakashi. That's a pretty band-aid; did Mai pick it out for you?"

Kakashi turned smoothly on his heel and went back the way he had come, pulling off the band-aid as he went.

"Don't be like that!' Gai called, his voice wavering from the strain of not laughing, 'Blue really brings out your eyes."

"Ah, shut up."

* * *

Tsunade stared down at the scroll in her hand. She had already removed the protective seal; a seal that had caused her sleeve to catch fire and left scorch marks on her desk. She was glad Shizune hadn't been around to witness that particular blunder.

After her discussion, or rather, fight with Sumiko a few days ago, she had been dreading this. She had hoped, almost prayed that Uchiha's reply would not come, that the message would get lost in its transit. Or that perhaps Sumiko's messenger jutsu had failed, that she had not trialed it long enough to ensure that it would work. Tsunade had almost convinced herself that it had failed, and the moment that she saw the black hawk soaring towards her window, she knew her hopes were for nothing.

The hawk had swooped through the window, dropped the scroll onto her desk and left. There was no need for it to wait for a message back. It was done. There was no backing down now.

Tsunade cursed herself for letting Maia talk her into this. When the idea had come up, she had been stressed with the security and rebuilding of Konoha so soon after Orochimaru's attack.

She sighed again and leaned back in her chair, staring at the cracked ceiling of her office. A false sense of peace settled around her, and if it weren't for the document on her desk, she could have left early and taken the night off.

The sun was slipping out of the sky, lighting up the normally white walls with an orange glow, shadows of the forest making jagged shapes around the room. Tsunade pulled a blank piece of paper and a pen towards her. There were things to do, and it was vital that all were done in order. She needed to call Maia back, and ANBU had to be alerted at precisely the right moment. Too soon, and she'd never escape the Village, too late at it would rouse the suspicions of the Akatsuki. Hatake would need to be sent away for the duration of this…

Tsunade paused and stared at the reply still waiting for her to open. She chewed her lip. She already knew what it would say.

Well, she may as well numb herself down a little before allowing all hell to break loose. The Hokage removed the waiting sake from an unlocked draw of her desk, poured herself a drink and drank it in one, before tearing open Itachi Uchiha's reply.

* * *

Kakashi and I were curled up on the couch together watching TV when I saw it. The Hokage's personal messenger bird in the distance. It was circling around the village slowly, as if it were making up its mind over its destination. I said nothing to Kakashi, instead watching the creature swoop urgently. I knew it would come here. I had heard nothing from Tsunade for the last three days, but I could feel it. The bird came closer, but I didn't move to open the window for it. The moment I read what she had to say, everything would change.

I sat up and faced Kakashi, and realised that he too had been looking out the window, whether it was at the hawk or not, I did not ask.

"Hey." I said quietly, causing him to turn towards me. The bird would be here in a few seconds. I cupped his face in my hands, imprinting every last detail onto my memory. He frowned slightly at me; he could undoubtedly feel the change. I traced his cheek bone with my thumb, down to his lips. His eyes, dark and burning, were fixed on me. Though he hadn't changed his position, I could feel the tension radiating off him. I kissed him gently, and noticed things I had missed in this bizarre, frantic, beautiful week we'd had. How soft his lips were, how smooth his skin was. The calluses on his hands and the small scars on his arms from countless battles. I pulled away and looked into his eyes. As the bird tapped on my window with its beak, I silently apologized for everything I was about to do.

We really deserved a better ending than this.

* * *

I stood outside the Hokage's building alone. Night fell quickly, and a cold harsh wind was quick to pick up. The message had been as I'd thought. An order, not a request, to come to the tower immediately to deal to urgent business with the Hokage. Kakashi had offered to walk me, but I told him it would take a while, and suggested that he go home to catch up on some rest. His time off was coming to an end, and he could use the break. If he suspecting anything was wrong, he kept it to himself.

I looked around to make sure no one was watching me, but the street was deserted. The wind blew grey clouds over the moon, and for the first time since this began, I felt well and truly alone. But it was how this had to be.

There was no point in avoiding waiting any longer, I had volunteered myself for this and I had to follow through. Though it wasn't a job that only I could do, I was the only person that had any chance of surviving it.

I walked through the doors without another thought, and headed straight to Tsunade's office.

* * *

The door was open when I arrived, and I didn't bother to knock before entering. There was no point. Tsunade sat with her head resting on her hand, the other holding a brimming cup of sake. A piece of paper that curled slightly at the edges lay in front of her.

Her window was open, and the cold night air had filled her office. She had not risen to turn on the lights. I sat myself before her, and waiting for her to talk.

Instead, she reached behind her desk and pulled out another cup, filled it and handed it to me. She then pushed the paper to me, rose and stood at the window, surveying the moonlit village.

The message was small, and had been in code. Tsunade's translation was written next to it:

_October 17, 12am._

_West Gate, Owari Mt._

"Owari Mountain?" I asked.

"It's just behind the Uchiha land_._ I imagine that the location is Itachi's version of a statement towards me."

She glared bitterly out the window. I knew she hated this plan, but the good of the village had to come before the good on one. At least that's what we told ourselves. I stared at the sake in my hand. October 17, one week from today. A rushing sound filled my ears, and for a split second I was overcome with utter panic, fear and dread. Then calm. I felt numb, but determined. Things were finally and absolutely in motion. It was going to happen, and we could start preparing. I could do this.

"You need to end things with Kakashi." Tsunade said quietly.

"…Yes."

She turned back to me, face set.

"You need to hurt him Mai. Make him stay away, stop him from following you. He wouldn't let you go if he knew what was really going on. The arrangement is for you to be at the top of Owari _alone. _If he shows up there is no telling what Uchiha or his partner may do."

"I know."

I ignored the sickening feeling in my gut when she said that. There were no tears, nor would there be. I was a ninja, and I had a job to do. I had to shut down, be impartial and unattached.

"I will alert ANBU at midnight on the 17th. You will leave Konoha the moment Itachi shows. I will send Kakashi away. I will dispel any doubts as to your innocence here in Konoha, which will convince any Akatsuki spies. Your duty is to keep Akatsuki away from Naruto. Use your jutsu to send information."

"I know" I said again.

Tsunade sat down again, and lit her desk lamp. The light illuminated her tired face; though I was sure I looked no better. She finally looked me in the eye.

"I want no loss of life Mai. I want you to return when these two and a half years are up. If things start going dangerously wrong, send word and we will get you out of there. You also have a spirit sealed within you, and that cannot afford it to fall into the wrong hands."

I nodded wearily, just wanting to leave. Tsunade stared at her desk for a moment, seeming to fight herself over something.

"Look, why don't you tell Kakashi?"

"No."

Her eyes narrowed.

"Why not. He's had to go to extremes for the village before, he would understand-,"

"No he wouldn't." I was calm, I had already had this argument with myself, and always came to the same conclusion.

"I don't want him to wait around for me. I'm going to be away for nearly three years, if I'm ever to come back at all. If he knows it's truely over, he will move on. I want him to be happy."

"And running away with your ex is going to do that? That's the worst attempt at happiness I've ever heard" Tsunade scowled.

"I'm not saying it wont hurt. But he's survived worse. He'll be alright." If there was anything I was certain about, it was that.

She suddenly rummaged about in her desk again, and pulled out a narrow brown box. She placed in front of me and lifted the lid. An unusually shaped kunai lay within. It was black, and the blade was jagged and narrow. The handle was hollow, and I could see a faint inscription on the side.

"This is an Uragirimono knife, or traitor tool as it's known in some circles. It's an illegal weapon; those caught handling it are sentenced to death. It is only for you to use to extreme circumstances."

I nodded, and took the weapon out of the box. It was cold, and made from stone. Getting stabbed with this would mutilate a person. I disliked it immediately.

"It works like a normal kunai, but to make use of its special 'effect', a blood sacrifice must be made. The blood is poured into the handle, which activates the seal,' she pointed to the inscription, 'and from that point on, no matter who the knife is used on, the person whose blood has been used will experience the pain and receive the wound."

She stopped short, hesitating. I realised what she intended the weapon for.

"It's sacrificial, and I'm a healer. I'm supposed to use this on myself, aren't I?"

I put it back in the box.

"I understand that there will be things you don't want to do, people you will have to hurt. This is just an option for you."

I closed the lid on it and nodded. The thing creeped me out.

"If that is all then, Hokage."

I paused for a moment, and then stood to leave when she said nothing. I bowed, picked up the box and made to leave.

"Maia." The Hokage said abruptly. I paused at the door.

"Good luck."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 11 has been fixed.**

His hand brushed against mine, and I was sure to thwart any further attempt at contact by putting my hands in my pockets. I had been pulling things like this for the last few days, but my cold nature did nothing to deter him. He would keep reaching for me, trying to talk to me and I would bat him away, feeling sick every time I rejected him, every time I had to hurt him.

I wish that he would be the bigger person and leave me; I am such a coward.

I glanced at him, to gauge his reaction, but his face was devoid of emotion, and he had already pulled out his perverted book to read instead. We continued in silence, back towards my apartment building. It was hard to believe that just over two weeks ago we were holing ourselves up there for days on end, and now, I had to end things. I had two days to do it.

Deep down I knew Kakashi wouldn't be the one to leave me. His patience with me had always been endless, he had never yelled at me, and even when we had 'fought' on the training grounds, it was me that walked away. Sure, he wasn't perfect, and I had received endless sarcasm and torment at his hands over the years, and he was probably endlessly frustrated with me. But he was always there. Whenever I was in trouble, I could count on him. He was always coming back for me.

He didn't deserve what I had to do to him, and it was something I would have to live with.

We were at my building, and he reached forward to open the door. He stood back to let me pass, and was about to follow me in when I stopped him.

"I'm really tired, Kakashi. I think I'll just get some shut-eye." My tone was enough to tell him that he wasn't invited. He looked down at me, and I met his eye for the first time today. He watched me carefully, trying to discern why I was behaving so badly.

"Alright, did you want to train tomorrow?" He was matching my mood; polite and aloof.

"No. I'm busy tomorrow. I'll call you later though." My stomach clenched and I hated myself for doing this. Tsunade had been right, starting all of this had been a bad idea; I had been too rash and emotional with everything. The complete opposite of what a ninja should be - calculating and certain. And now Kakashi was the person that had to suffer the consequences. I allowed myself to drop the façade for a moment; I grabbed him and kissed him hard and fast on his cloth covered lips, before releasing him just as quickly and dashing inside.

* * *

"I don't know, there's something wrong and she won't tell me what."

"You sure you didn't piss her off or insult her again?"

Kakashi rubbed his eyes tiredly, thinking back over the last few days. He hadn't done anything more than usual to irritate her. It was something else, and he wasn't sure that it was entirely something to do with him. Gai and Asuma joined him for a drink at one of Konoha's most popular drinking spots; they had also noticed the change in Mai over the last few days.

Asuma shrugged and grinned.

"Told you that you're too old for her."

Kakashi rolled his eyes, half smiling.

"That's never been a problem."

Gai chose this time to impart further words of wisdom.

"Bah, it's just women Kakashi. One minute they're all over you, the next their sobbing in bed eating ice-cream."

"Jesus, what do you do to _your_ girlfriends?' Asuma looked at Gai in mock-alarm, 'besides, Mai doesn't strike me as the type to wallow; she's more likely to blow something up when she's upset."

Kakashi stared up at the ceiling; this was getting him nowhere.

"Hey, hey!' Gai started up again after he finished sulking over Asuma's remark, 'have you actually asked her what's wrong?"

"Stupid; of course he has!" Asuma barked.

Kakashi winced slightly; the others catching his expression immediately.

"You haven't?" Gai asked flatly.

Asuma pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"I was trying to give her space."

"No! Wrong! Never give them space!" Gai yelled shaking his head violently. "Give them time to think and they realise how much better off they are without you, and next thing you're at a table for one! Think Kakashi! Use your head!"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow as Asuma, before lazily turning his attention back to Gai.

"You don't have much luck with women, do you?"

Asuma snickered into his drink as Gai turned red and started yelling again. The bartender wandered past and surreptitiously removed Gai's unfinished drink. He had had more than enough.

* * *

Kakashi had made it back to his apartment in the early hours of the morning. He and Asuma had had to carry Gai home after a few too many toasts made towards Kakashi and Maia's happiness together.

He had collapsed onto his bed fully dressed, and it seemed as though he had only shut his eyes for a moment, when the tapping on his window began. Kakashi groaned, and became aware of a slight headache lingering around his temples. He opened his eyes, squinting into the bright morning sun that streamed into his bedroom. There was a small bird sitting at his sill, tapping rhythmically. A piece of paper was wound round its skinny leg.

Kakashi had been expecting this the moment his time off ended; the village was still struggling with the strain the attack had caused, and no ninja was going to waste. He yawned and pulled off his mask before opening the window. The bird flew away the moment he took the message; a B class delivery to the Sand. He frowned slightly. B class, surely he could take on better roles than this... Maybe Tsunade was just starting him out slow after everything that happened on the last mission.

Kakashi glanced at the departure time, and saw that he only had a few hours before he had to set off. That was odd too, normally ninja were given longer to prepare. He sighed, it was no use questioning it now, he would just have to get it over with.

He flopped back onto his bed and stared at the ceiling. He would go and see Mai before he left; hopefully she'd be forthcoming today.

After talking with the others the night before, Kakashi had decided that the best way to fix this was to just talk to Mai, rather than let her obsess over this alone.

Glancing at the clock had Kakashi moving again. If he were to prepare for the mission and see Mai, he would have to act fast.

* * *

I had laid everything I would need out on my bed. I wasn't leaving until the following night, but I wanted to be prepared for any delay that may occur. I had sharpened my weapons and replaced all my kunai and shuriken holders. The weapon from Tsunade remained in its box. I had already completed the ritual she had told me about, and poured my blood into the handle the moment I'd gotten home. My headband that I'd so often neglected lay next, followed by a small kit of basic first aid materials. I would have to properly restock my supplies while on the run. I also took my earnings from the last few months, though I doubted that Akatsuki bothered much with fair trading when it came to civilians. There was also a sealed scroll Tsunade had sent over in the morning; it contained the details of Naruto's training and vague indications as to his whereabouts for the next two years. It would be used as leverage with the Akatsuki, proof of my loyalty and legitimacy. I'd peddle off some story about intercepting it before I left the village, it wouldn't take much for them to believe me with such a classified document. They would not try to take Naruto once they learned of the Sannin's involvement.

That was as much as I dared take, I was still aware that the ANBU would be hot on my heels the moment I left the village, and I needed to make the quickest get away possible.

I moved everything to my closet, into the box of blunt useless weapons. It should be safe there.

I sat back on my bed, unsure of what to do with myself. I had already cleaned my apartment top to bottom, and I didn't want to go out, in case I ran into people I knew – it would just make leaving harder than it already was.

I still had to get rid of Kakashi...though maybe the Hokage had already sent him on his mission, and I could leave without having to see him...I flopped back on my bed and shut my eyes. I could do with a few hours sleep; I had a long journey ahead...

The knock at the door stopped me short, and I knew before I answered it that it would be Kakashi. I looked around my bedroom for any evidence of what I was doing. It was too tidy, so I messed up the covers. I grabbed a sweatshirt from my drawers and flung it on the kitchen counter when I walked by. I also pulled out one of the dining room chairs – at least now the place looked somewhat inhabited. I paused outside the door, taking a moment to prepare myself. It was now or never, and I had to be totally convincing if any of this were to work. Maybe I could let him down easy, tell him that he just wasn't "the one" or something like that. I hitched a smile on my face as I opened the door, and let it drop when I saw Kakashi.

"Oh. It's you." I pushed the door fully open and wandered off to the kitchen, not sparing him a second glance. I heard him sigh heavily before following me. His gaze was burning a hole in my back, but I remained cool, opening the fridge and rummaging around for something to eat.

"So, why are you here?" I called over my shoulder, sniffing an open pot of yoghurt. Bad choice; definitely expired.

"I'm going away for a few days-,' he answered flatly. I threw the yoghurt in the bin, noising my disgust.

"Some B-grade mission, I thought we could-,"

"-You want some?" I straightened, holding out a loaf of bread, already chewing a slice. His eye narrowed.

"No. I thought we could talk when I got back; you haven't been yourself lately."

I laughed and rolled my eyes.

"Talk about what? Jeez, you make it sound like we're in a relationship or something."

I set about making a sandwich, acting as disinterested as possible.

"Aren't we?" He crossed his arms and leaned against the door way, watching my busy hands.

"Like, you're my boyfriend or something? As if" I laughed.

He was silent for a moment, and I tried to ignore how awkward I felt.

"So what has all this been then?" He said finally.

"I dunno; fun?"

He raised an eyebrow. He clearly didn't believe me, and I reeled to think of another excuse

"It's just sex, Kakashi,' I said exasperatedly, waving my hand in the air. "That's it."

I met his eye; my words were hard and serious. His composure was unbreakable.

"So that's the reason for the sudden attitude change. You got what you wanted, and are looking for the next thing?"

I shrugged and focused back on what I was doing.

"Don't get all, I don't know, pissy at me. It's not my fault that you were more into this than me." I turned away, putting everything back into the fridge. I sat up on the counter and picked up my lunch.

"Oh, wanna bite?" I asked, holding it out to him. He ignored me.

"Do I look mad?'He asked. He really didn't, he was as calm as ever.

"I'm just trying to get my facts straight. You were the one who wanted to go on dates and whatever, and now suddenly you want out? Surely you can come up with a better story than this Maia, because I'm not buying it."

My stomach twisted uncomfortably, and I thought wildly about what to do next.

"Tell me the truth."

I glared at him, clenching my jaw.

"An explanation; I deserve that much."

"No, you don't." I bit out.

"Tell me." His voice was icy; I knew he was getting angry now.

"I have!"

"I don't believe you; what's going on?"

"Nothing!"

"Mai!"

I could feel panic rising. My heart was beating a bruise on my chest. Think of something. Think of something. Think of –

"There is someone else." I said coldly. There was no hint of the inner turmoil in my voice.

Kakashi seemed frozen on the spot. I watched him swallow hard and he finally looked away.

"There is someone else. There has been for a long time. _You_ came to my apartment that night. _You_ initiated this entire thing; you created all of - of this from your own fantasy and got carried away."

He still didn't look at me.

"I want to be on the straight and narrow with this guy. And I can't be happy with him, with you hanging around."

I watched him, ached for him. I would never be able to make this right. But he was still standing there, reeling. I had to sever myself from him, make sure he would stay away. The others would kill him. I repeated to myself over and over that this was for his own good, before I dealt the final blow.

"I don't want you, Kakashi."

There it was. I closed my eyes, letting it sink in. My ears were ringing; I was surely going to be sick. I gripped the edge of the counter so hard that my knuckles turned white. When I opened my eyes again, I saw that he was looking away from me, out the window at the village. The silence stretched out for an age. Then finally, he turned his tired gaze to me, nodded slightly and walked out.

* * *

It was two in the afternoon. I watched the minutes tick by blearily. My eyes were positively throbbing and my head felt like it was about to split open, such was the strength of my headache. A night spent crying would do that to a person. A night that I should have taken every advantage of; who knew the next time I would get to sleep, let alone in a bed? Today was the day. Ten more hours as a Konoha citizen and then it'd be over. Or rather, it would begin. There was nothing more to do, no one to see. Kakashi was safe and out of the village, my things were packed. All I had to do now was wait.

As I stared up at the ceiling, I found myself wishing for midnight, so I could start this horrible journey, instead of sitting around dreading it. After all, the sooner I started, the sooner I could finish.

I rubbed my eyes, trying to ease some of the raw pain, but only made it worse. I would try to squeeze in a few more hours of rest; I had to be at top form tonight, and getting stabbed by a black op before I even escaped the village boundary would do nothing to improve my mood.

* * *

I kept my head down as I walked through the streets. They were busy, meaning that the chances of someone seeing me were highly unlikely. I had to get to the Uchiha district though, and the crowd would surely thin out around there.

The people passing me had no idea what was going on; what lay in store for the village in just a few years. We would be at war, and if I failed to keep the Akatsuki away from Naruto until he was properly trained by Jiraiya, then we would all suffer.

I drank in the sight of only home I had ever known. I'd have liked to of gone by the war memorial, but it wasn't on the direct route to Owari, and if Akatsuki were having me followed it would look suspicious, me showing remorse for a place that I was meant to be indifferent to.

The night was still and clear, it would be easy to find my way the full light of the moon. There was a light breeze, again another good omen; my getaway would be easy.

Shop owners were yelling at the passers-by, shouting out their competitive prices. Teenagers crept into the alley ways, sneaking cigarettes or making out with each other. Groups of people laughed as they walked by, chatting about the latest rumour floating around Konoha. A Man and Woman screamed at each other from opposite sides of the street, and I could see ANBU agents milling through the crowd, watching silently.

I turned into a quieter street, lined with cafes and restaurants; most people were inside. I kept my eyes straight ahead and ignored the drunken louts who shouted from the windows.

I continued winding my way through the Konoha streets, closer and closer to my goal. I checked my watch; I had 20 minutes before Itachi arrived, 25 before ANBU.

"Mai?"

My blood froze in my veins. I stopped and looked around for the owner of the voice, and found Gai standing in the middle of the road behind me.

"Oh, hey Gai." I remained composed.

The smile that normally occupied Gai's face had disappeared; he was serious, and I felt a slight tinge of fear. When he was like this he was dangerous, there would be no jokes or dramatics tonight.

"It's late, Mai. Where are you heading off to?" His voice remained light, and he walked closer to me.

"I'm meeting some friends.' I uttered casually. 'I'm actually running late, so..."

"Are you okay? You haven't seemed yourself over the past few days."

Ah, so he'd noticed. Asuma would have too then. I hitched a grin on my face.

"Yeah! It's just been a busy few weeks, y'know? I'm just trying to get my head around everything."

He didn't return my smile, instead studying me so intensely it was like being x-rayed.

"You sure?" He asked gravely.

I wanted to shout at him. Tell him I wasn't okay, that I didn't want to leave, that I wanted to run back to my home and hide. I wanted to cry, and take back everything I had said and promised.

"I'll be fine." I said and started walking again. I had wasted too much time.

"Goodbye, Gai." I waved over my shoulder, turned into an alleyway, and when I was sure that he was not following or watching me, I ran down the street.

* * *

I had reached the meeting point faster than anticipated and I had ten minutes to kill before I left. I stood on the edge of a cliff overlooking Konoha. The citizens were as ants, milling through the labyrinth of streets below. Behind me sprawled a large clearing, edged with Konoha's dense forest. It was a steep drop from the cliff, and the rocks below looked razor sharp.

I was about to sit down to wait, when a low chuckle put me back on guard. I remained calm and looked over my shoulder. My fingers twitched towards my kunai case, when out of the darkness loomed a man with a blue face. Rows of sharp teeth grinned at me and he came closer, though stopping just out of range.

"Well, well. Tired of village life so quickly, Sumiko?" Kisame sneered.

I glared back at him. I had not known that he would be coming to the meeting point, though now it seemed like a poor oversight to make.

It took me a moment to register that Itachi was standing next to Kisame. He was still and calm, with none of the swagger of his college. However, his eyes were alert and scanning the area carefully.

"Mai, are you ready to leave?" he said finally, resting his gaze on me. The Sharingan washed over my senses momentarily.

_How long until the Black Ops arrive?_

_You're early. We have time._

The genjutsu was released, and I pretended like nothing had happened.

"Yes" I answered shortly, moving away from the cliff and towards the men before me. Itachi moved to walk by my side; Kisame did not.

"Say, this has to be the quietest desertion I've ever been to." He said in mock thought as he peered over the edge of the cliff face, watching the people below. "Don't you agree Itachi?"

Kisame eyed me suspiciously, waiting for one of us to talk.

"It's not exactly my first time, I figured we'd do without the traditional mass slaughter and head on our merry way." I answered tersely, wanting to get as far away from the village as possible and shut off any more questions regarding my loyalties. Kisame still didn't move.

"You didn't kill anyone last time either." He answered moodily. I realised he wasn't going to let this go, and would probably insist of evidence of my allegiance.

"Yes,' I said finally, 'and because of that I was able to _return _to Konoha to swiftly obtain information on the Jinchuuriki without raising suspicions."

"Information?"

I pulled out the scroll and pointedly handed it to Itachi rather than Kisame.

"It's what the Akatsuki are after, no?" I started walking again. We were wasting time here. Itachi tucked the scroll into his uniform, ignoring Kisame's request to see it. I was relieved to see that the stubborn ninja had finally started moving. Perhaps the plan really would work. I felt myself start to relax by inches; we were nearly at the cover of the forest. I was going to be okay.

"I can't let you go any further."

The voice was cool, calm and familiar. I turned around slowly, and my heart stopped beating.

Kakashi stood before us, arms folded over his chest, acting as though coming across two members of a murderous gang leaving with his ex girlfriend was a very common thing. I couldn't speak, partially out of dread, but mostly for frantically trying to think of how I was going to save him. Hadn't he been on a mission? Surely he couldn't have finished so fast.

Itachi and Kisame looked equally as relaxed as Kakashi, though of course they would. They had nearly succeeded in killing him once before.

"Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame; I'm surprised you'd show your faces in Konoha so soon." Kakashi's voice was conversational, but his eyes were sharp.

"Well, the Copy-Nin's alive. And here I thought Itachi had scrambled your brains for good,' Kisame sneered back, reaching for the handle of the weapon on his back, 'losing touch, Itachi?"

Itachi said nothing; instead sizing up Kakashi carefully. For a moment I had thought, or rather hoped, that Kakashi would ignore my presence. No such luck.

"So, Mai. This is your 'someone else' then? The Homicidal Prodigy and his pet fish? Nice."

A muscle twitched in Itachi's jaw. If Kisame wanted proof of my loyalty, now was a good time to start.

"What are you doing Mai?" Kakashi cut in before I could answer, his voice no longer light.

"I was leaving, but I suppose you're going to make that difficult."

"Probably."

"You don't want to start a fight. You barely survived the last one." I clenched my teeth; if he stayed around, the others would kill him. Kisame was rearing for a fight as it was.

"What's going on Mai?"

He sounded dangerous, as though his patience was already wearing thin. Itachi finally cut in.

"You are looking at the latest member of the Akatsuki Mercenary Group."

Kakashi's eye narrowed and he uncrossed his arms.

"I don't believe it."

I jutted my chin out and shrugged slightly. I wracked my brain, still thinking of how to get rid of him. Words wouldn't do, but I made another attempt at talking him out of stopping us, just in case.

"Believe what you want. I don't care, but just stop being so pathetic, and get out of our way. We're leaving, so just go home."

Kakashi's hand moved closer to his kunai holder.

"No, you're not; you least of all, Mai. I've already called ANBU; they will be here in a few minutes."

Kisame cackled behind me and I felt him start to move forward.

"A few minutes…That sounds doable."

He started to draw out his sword, and Kakashi had a kunai in his hand in seconds, his other already reaching to pull up his headband.

"No." I thrust out an arm in front of Kisame, halting his advance on Kakashi. All three men looked at me in surprise.

"...What did you say?" He sneered, his hand not moving from his sword. "You had better remove your arm from there unless you want to lose it."

I glared at him, and stepped forwards.

"You want a 'messy desertion'? Okay, he's mine." I said tensely, looking back over to where Kakashi stood. His eye had widened in shock, and he lowered his kunai slightly.

Kisame chuckled, and stepped back.

"Well, well, a lovers' quarrel. This should be good."

I glanced over at Itachi for confirmation. He kept his gaze fixed on Kakashi.

"Perhaps Mai will have more luck killing you than I did,' He said calmly, his tone light. He clearly didn't care one way or the other what happened to Kakashi at this point. His voice hardened when he spoke to me.

"Make it quick."

White Chakra pulsated through me before he had finished his sentence; I charged towards Kakashi, keeping low until the last second. I spun quickly, my body clearing Kakashi, but all my momentum was focused into my elbow, which I slammed into his stomach. He flew backwards, but managed to flip upright in time to stop himself slamming into a nearby tree.

I was on him instantly, a barrage of attacks with kunai and shuriken. He blocked them all, though he was yet to go on the offensive.

Our weapons clashed and locked; I was too close to him. I tried to dart away, but he held me fast.

"I'm not going to fight you Maia." He muttered, ducking the kick I aimed at his head. I let go of my knife and danced backwards to regroup. The Hou-ou's power surged through my veins, and I fought to keep it under control; I was already struggling to keep my strength in check.

"Then you are going to die." I snarled, gathering my chakra to my feet before flying towards him again. I disappeared a few feet from him, reappearing behind. I raised my elbow to sink it into the back of his neck, but he was ready for me this time. He grabbed my wrist as he ducked, flipping me over his shoulder and bringing me crashing to the ground. He hesitated for a split second, and I kicked his legs out from under him. I jumped up to my feet but Kakashi had already recovered from my move. This time he came at me, catching me by surprise.

His kunai slashed towards me, and I barely held him off.

"What-,"

I managed to catch myself in time, almost asking him why he was attacking me suddenly. I frantically tried to figure out what he was playing at; he was aiming to kill, but he still had not revealed the Sharingan. Was he testing my nerve? To see just how far I'd go?

I jarred his arm and his weapon flew from his hand. I had a clear shot at his neck and I raised my knife again. He was slow to guard that vital area, and I realised he was inviting me to cut him. To kill him there and then. He was testing my resolve, trying to find out if I was serious about destroying him.

Of course I couldn't do it. I missed, and cut his cheek. No sooner had my weapon touched him, than his chakra fuelled palm slammed into my chest. I rocketed backwards, crashing through a tree. The fallen trunk made the ground rumble when it hit. The world was spinning slightly, though it only took a moment to get my bearings.

The dust and debris was yet to settle, and I used it as cover to create a shadow clone. It crouched next to me and reached into my weapons pouch. I nodded at it, before it dashed away into the forest.

Things seemed to be moving in slow motion, and I wondered if I had hit my head.

Kakashi stood a few metres away panting, and I could see the realisation in his eye. I didn't take the shot; and he knew, or at least suspected my dedication to Akatsuki. I had to end this before he opened his mouth, before he confirmed what Itachi and Kisame probably already suspected and ruined this entire operation.

I looked over my shoulder at the men behind me; Kisame looked bored, and he was reaching for his Samehada. Itachi's eyes were narrowed and fixed on Kakashi.

If I didn't end this, they would. Kakashi's voice caught my attention once more, though I had made up my mind of my next course of action in a matter of seconds.

"You're coming back to Konoha; if not voluntarily, than under arrest." Kakashi said; I could hear the anger in his voice. He pulled up his headband, and the red Sharingan glared back at me. I would not win with Ninjutsu or Genjutsu now; it was up to the Hou-ou and countless hours of training with Gai _and _Tsunade to get me through this.

I moved to a crouch, planting my foot against the base of the tree. I felt the raw energy pulse through my veins; building up the chakra in my feet. I heard the tree crack as I pushed off the trunk and I was gone in a flash of light.

Once more I was watching my surroundings as if they were stuck in slow motion. However this time I moved through space freely; just like at the Chunin Exams. I darted around Kakashi, giving myself room to prepare the Sonic Bomb uninterrupted. I stopped at the end of the clearing, my sprint having only lasted little more than a second. White chakra burned my palm, and I felt the bomb tremble violently. I narrowed my focus; I would blow myself up if I didn't think about what I had to do. The bomb rolled and throbbed in my hand, and just as I was thinking that it was ready, I heard a familiar high pitched chirping in the distance.

I looked up and saw blue light crackling in the distance. Kakashi charged towards me; defying the frozen state everything else appeared to be in.

This was it.

I ran at him, hand flung back to strike. We were close, we would hit in a matter of seconds. My vision was almost entirely taken up with white light and Kakashi's Chidori, the screeching was deafening. He thrust his hand forward. My shadow clone surged out of the darkness; weapon glinting in the moonlight. She plunged the senbon into his neck, and I barely caught the expression of surprise before our attacks hit.

My head snapped back with the force. The air with filled with a sickening cracking sound as the nearby forest was ripped from the earth. Something grabbed my wrist, preventing me from being blown away too, over the cliff face and on the jagged rocked below. Everything was white for a moment; before I registered I was falling.

I hit the ground hard, landing on my back. The air rushed from my lungs.

It was silent, but as my vision slowly came back, I realised that my ears were wringing. The smell of burned flesh tainted the air.

My shadow clone had disappeared in the explosion, and her memories flittered into my head. I had a sudden vision Kakashi and I racing towards each other, before taking special aim at the pressure point on his neck with the needle.

Kakashi.

I sat up, finding that I was surprisingly uninjured; the white chakra must have healed cuts and scratches as I got them. I felt something still touching my wrist. Kakashi was lying next to me, breathing shallowly. The clones aim had been true, he was completely paralyzed.

Itachi and Kisame were somewhere behind me, and judging by their silence they were waiting for the killer strike. Kakashi looked up at me, his expression unreadable. I gazed back sadly, before reaching into my kunai holder. My hand closed on the handle of the Uragirimono. It was colder to touch than the regular kunai.

I released the white chakra and returned to my normal state; I deserved to feel this. His eyes didn't leave my face as I raised the knife above my head. I grit my teeth, trying as best I could to prepare for the onslaught of pain. I held my breath for a moment. There would be no going back from this point. ANBU would be here soon, along with other ninja; our light show would not go unnoticed.

I exhaled and plunged the knife into Kakashi's chest.

I tried to shut my eyes to the pain.

An invisible blade grated through my insides; severing muscle and sinew. My shirt was immediately wet with my blood. I had missed my heart by millimetres. My hand clutched my chest desperately and I forced healing chakra to the wound. Blackness was edging my vision, and I realised that I had done too good a job. My chakra flow was distorted and uneven. A gasp escaped my lips, and I fought against blacking out. I opened my eyes, and my horror was only added to when I saw Kakashi's face contorted in pain. The knife was buried right to the handle. I pulled the Uragirimono out of his chest, panicking. The moment I did so, his eyes shut and his face went slack. I touched his chest, thinking that Tsunade had given me the wrong weapon, or lied to me. The knife had done its job, Kakashi had still had to experience the pain but he was alive. I could leave now; ANBU would take him home. There was no blood, no wound. Just a slow, steady heartbeat.

* * *

Itachi watched as Maia kneeled over the 'dead' Ninja. She had not moved for a full minute. He had suspected that her relationship with the Copy Nin had grown to be more than that of mentor and student, though she was foolish to show such emotion here. If Kisame noticed…

She twitched violently, and then in another jerky movement, wrenched the kunai from the Copy Nin's body. She stood slowly, though she stayed hunched over. Her hands were covered in blood, and when she turned around, her face was deathly pale.

Though her dark clothing concealed it, Itachi's Sharingan found the wound on her chest instantly; her enormous chakra focused on the spot just next to her heart.

"We should move. The Black Ops will be arriving soon." Kisame said, sounding unnaturally serious.

Itachi nodded, watching Maia walk towards them.

"We'll follow you." Itachi muttered. His partner shrugged and flitted into the night. He said nothing as Mai passed him, trying to act as naturally as one could with a hole in their chest. They would need to talk about the best course of action from here on out, but that conversation would have to wait. Black Ops were almost on the scene.

So all Itachi did was nod once more, led her away from the body in the grass and into the cover of the forest.

**

* * *

**

The Next Day

Kakashi looked out over the village from his ward. The Hokage's voice blared from the speakers placed throughout the village. Below, people stood still in the streets, hanging on her every word.

"In the early hours of Sunday morning, acclaimed Jonin Sumiko Maia fled Konohagature at the cost of many. Sumiko has rejoined one Uchiha Itachi, and it is believed that she will shortly join forces with the Akatsuki in their plight to capture the Jinchurriki."

The streets were silent. Kakashi opened his window, despite the fact that he could hear Tsunade's voice through the glass. He sat on the sill, ignoring the protest of his aching muscles. He could hardly believe what he was hearing, though he had witnessed the betrayal first hand.

"Sumiko is a powerful enemy of the leaf nation. She has been working for Uchiha Itachi since her return, and has used her time here to gather information on the village. We urge those who have had close contact with this shinobi to come forth and inform officials of any information she may have obtained, no matter how small.

"We must arm ourselves against this latest threat to our countries well-being."

Kakashi rested his head back against the wall.

_Mai, what have you done? _

"Make no mistake,' Tsunade's terrible voice continued, 'Everything she told you was a lie. Every, last, thing."

The speakers were silent as the Hokage let that last point sink in.

"Mr Hatake!"

Kakashi jumped, and turned towards the voice; a nurse stood in the doorway, looking at him in shock.

"You shouldn't be out of bed! You'll only injure yourself further – the Hokage has given direct orders-,"

Kakashi sighed and stood. He hadn't wanted to hear any more anyway.

He moved back to his bed without a word. It had happened again. First Obito, then the fourth, and Rin. And now Maia, the girl who had spent the best part of her childhood teasing him, who had tormented his friends. Who many considered nothing less than a sister, was trying to destroy her home, and everyone who cared about her.

Where had they gone wrong?

How could she have made such a decision, to sacrifice so much? Kakashi rested his hand over the bandages on his chest, over the wound she inflicted.

"Are you in pain, Mr Hatake?" Kakashi hadn't realised that the nurse was still there. She made a motion to reach for a morphine needle near the bed. He shut his eyes. He just wanted to escape, to not have to listen to what the Hokage said, to get away from reality, just for a while.

"Yes." He finally answered.

* * *

Tsunade's words echoed around the surrounding mountains, and while much was impossible to understand, the gist of it was clear.

Kisame laughed and we stood still, facing in the direction of Konoha.

"They don't like you much, do they?" He cackled.

I said nothing, looking out over the land before us. We were closer to Konoha than even Tsunade knew. I stood the top of another cliff, though here the wind blew sharp and ice threatened every footfall. Rolling green hills lay before me, and snowy mountain ranges waited behind. It would be so easy to slip and hurt myself on these rocks, though Itachi and Kisame navigated them effortlessly. It was time to cut myself off to such useless emotions; it was time to fulfil my role as a Konoha Ninja. Though who would have thought that in doing so, I had to become an enemy of the state?

This would be the last time I looked upon my home, at least for a very long time. Itachi was silent also, and I was careful not to meet his eye. His interrogation could wait.

"Well then,' Kisame continued, seemingly annoyed that neither of us we paying him any attention.

"How about we move on. Can't be bothered dealing with black ops at this time of the day." He trudged away, turning his back on us.

"Maia?" Itachi said, gesturing that indeed, it was time to leave. I shrugged and cast one last look over Konoha while Itachi followed Kisame.

I thought of Kakashi and the other Jonin I had grown to love. Of Tsunade, the Third and the Fourth. I thought about Naruto and the Nine-tails. I thought about the perilous journey before me, and how survival was not guaranteed. I may not live to clear my name, and would die a criminal.

"Enough." I finally murmured to myself.

I climbed down the rocky path, and followed my teammates into the dark forest below.

**

* * *

**

Ok, so, this is the end of this story, I hope you aren't really, really angry. But don't worry, this isn't the end of Mai and Ka, I have part 2 in the works. You might think that part two would be pointless, but to be honest, I was getting kind of bored with this story, and I want to make things darker and have more action than there is. I think it will be easier to do that in another story, as the relationship with Kakashi has been established, and I have things to work with now.

**There seems to be a bit of confusion about how easily Mai got back with Itachi, I assumed people would be up to date with the manga, but for those who aren't, I'll go over it in the next story.**

**I'm also going to put out a few one shots about things Mai has mentioned in the past, like her Chunin exam fight with Itachi. They don't urgently have to be read, but I just think it will help part two be a better story, and I can further build relationships.**

**The sequel is called The White Nin, and can be found on my profile.**

**Anyway, thank you all so much for reading. You feedback has always been helpful, whether it be critique or praise. Have no fear, I will return :D**

**Harper.**


End file.
